With this Ring…. Ginetti

With this ring…..these words might conjure up images of a wedding ceremony and the exchanging of gold bands, however, in Calabria there is another type of matrimonial ring, a dessert by the name of Ginetti (not to be confused with the lemon knot cookies known as anginetti).  These treats are traditionally enjoyed for Easter, prepared specifically to be affixed as decorations on palm trees for processions on Palm Sunday, but they are also commonly prepared for wedding festivities.

Ginetti are a dessert closely connected to the peasant culture, made with a few simple and easy to find ingredients: flour, eggs, powdered sugar and lemon juice. They are first cooked in water, then oven-baked before being glazed with lemon flavoured icing that is a bright white colour.  The cookies themselves have a light and crispy texture and almost resemble donuts.

They are often referred to as the Ginetti of Roggiano Gravina, the town in the province of Cosenza from which they originate. Although their origin is from Cosenza, the ginetti  or cuddrhurieddrhi in dialect, are widespread throughout Calabria and, as with every typical recipe, every area and every family has their own personal adaptation of the recipe.  They hold a PAT designation from the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry as a Traditional Agri-food Product of the region.

In the past families offered these glazed biscuits as part of a nuptial ritual.  In the week leading up to a wedding, the bride and groom stayed home to receive visits and auguri (best wishes) from relatives and friends.  Their families would serve guests the ginetti which held a particularly symbolic role.  The cookies were in fact prepared at the bride’s home by her mother, together with her future mother-in-law to symbolize the bond between the families.  The future groom also played a role, he was to prepare u nasparu (the icing) while the women prepared the dough.

Superstition dictates that the ginetti must be prepared on sunny days and never on wet ones (perhaps to augur the newlyweds nothing but warmth and light together).  As someone of Calabrese origin who has visited the ancestral homes of her family, my feeling is that sunny days made it easier for the glaze on the cookies to dry as opposed to rainy days that made interiors damp and cold. Tradition also dictates that the cookies be placed in a cabinet with a glass door to dry in order to maintain their white and shiny colour and never in the oven less you risk the glaze becoming opaque. Last but not least, the ginetti must be served in a traditional wicker basket or atop an embroidered napkin on a tray, in the centre of the wedding table.

Thankfully, due to their popularity in the south, these cookies are no longer reserved for Easter and weddings and can be enjoyed for any occasion so I’ve shared a traditional recipe if you’d like to give them a try. Buon Appetito!

Ingredients for the Cookies:

• 300 grams of flour
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the glaze)
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt

Ingredients for the Glaze:

• 2 egg whites
• 250 grams of powdered sugar
• ½ tsp of lemon juice

Directions:

In a bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt). In a large mixing bowl beat the whole eggs and yolks then gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until you’ve formed a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and continue to knead until smooth.

Divide the dough into portions of approximately 50 grams. Roll the portions out into ring or taralli shapes

Once you’ve formed all the taralli, boil them until they float to the surface. Remove them from the water, place them to dry on a cloth and then make a small incision along the edge.

Next place the taralli onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake them in a pre-heated 390F oven (200C) for 25 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool while you prepare the glaze.

To make the glaze:

Beat the two egg whites until soft peaks form then slowly add the icing sugar and lemon juice. If you prefer not to use the egg whites, you can combine the sugar and lemon with water.

Once you have made the glaze you can either spoon it over the ginetti or dip them directly into it.  Allow the glaze to harden and enjoy!