Fennel Taralli
These crunchy, ring-shaped biscuits with a sprinkling of fennel seeds are boiled before they’re baked and make the perfect match for a mid-afternoon espresso or tea.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (290 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 6 tbsp (85 g) sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour, fennel seeds, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and oil. With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients and combine until smooth. If the dough is very sticky, add a bit of flour. Lightly dust the surface of the dough with flour.
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Lightly oil the wire rack.
- On a very lightly floured surface, roll out 1 tbsp of dough into a 6-inch (15 cm) long rope. Join the ends to form a ring and press together lightly, using a bit of water if needed. Set aside on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining dough.
- In a large saucepan of simmering water, cook one-third of the rings at a time for about 3 minutes or until they float to the surface and are slightly puffed, turning them halfway through cooking. Drain on a clean, dry cloth.
- Place half of the rings on the prepared wire rack. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining taralli. Let cool.
- Air dry for 24 hours, and keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
These crunchy, ring-shaped biscuits with a sprinkling of fennel seeds are boiled before they’re baked and make the perfect match for a mid-afternoon espresso or tea.