Sweet taralli cookies

Sweet taralli belong to the "cucina povera" or "peasant cooking" as they are made with a few simple ingredients; simplicity is one of the main characteristics of the Italian cuisine.
After the recipe of savoury taralli from my friend Rosetta, here is the sweet version, so simple and so delicious. They have wine in them too which makes them very aromatic and you can add a touch of lemon zest or a tsp of vanilla essence too if you like.
They will last well for a week stored in an airtight container or they can be frozen when they are still raw, lined up on a baking tray then defrosted and baked.
- Prep Time : 30 minutes
- Cook Time : 20 minutes
- Yield : 60
Ingredients
- plain flour - 500 g or 4 + ¼ cup but more might be needed
- corn oil - 200 ml - 7 fl oz
- white wine - 200 ml - 7 fl oz
- sugar - 2 tbsp + extra for coating
- baking powder - 2 tsp
Instructions
In a bowl mix the oil with the wine and the sugar. Add the sifted flour with the baking powder. Mix well.
Working with your hands make a smooth dough. Add more flour if needed.
Cut the dough into chunks then roll it forming a cord about 10 cm or 4 inch long and then joining the two ends to obtain a donut shape
Put some sugar in a bowl or on a tray. Toss the taralli into the sugar and place them on a cloth. Let them rest for 15 minutes then bake them on a greased baking sheet at 180C or 350F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
Keep checking as they cook, every oven is different. They are ready when they look nice and golden.
Thanks Rosetta for all her hard work again! Together we had fun making this simple video on how to make sweet taralli 🙂
I wonder if you can make these cookies with red wine…I really love the idea of adding wine in sweet treats. Thanks Alida and Rosetta.
I am sure you can with red wine, they will just look darker.
These sound great Alida, I’ve not made biscuits with wine in them before!
It makes them very aromatic!
Che buoni, è da tanto che non li faccio, proverò questa tua ricetta, mi ispirano molto! Un bacione!
Can I use different oil, like olive oil, instead of the corn?
Yes of course
What an unusual recipe! I have not heard of Taralli before x
make it with a Prosseco left over in the fridge, and tossed in rosemary with the sugar – turned out absolutely amazing – little sweet and savory umami action. lol.
Sounds wonderful, thank you for this tip!
My neighbor made a very hard sweet taralli in large rings. They did not break easily if at all. One was quite enough. She’s gone decades now but I am wanting these cookies! Can you help?
I think it is best to make them a little smaller, not so large. Maybe your friend didn’t add enough oil, that’s why maybe they were so hard. Having said that these are not soft biscuits though and they tend to be on a crunchy side.