Apulian Cartellate: the recipe

There are many recipes of the Apulian Christmas tradition but certainly among the tastiest and most appreciated are the “cartellate“, a dessert that has small variations depending on the part of the region in which it is prepared. The Apulian “cartellate“ are a fried and crunchy dessert with a shape similar to rolled ribbons or roses which can be covered with honey or vincotto but are also delicious eaten alone, if you prefer.

Getting together as a family to prepare them all together is a widespread ritual in many homes: an opportunity to meet and pass on to the younger generations, a recipe that never fades and of which there are testimonies since the times of the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans and which in Bari appeared in an account of Bona Sforza’s wedding banquet in 1517. In the recipe for Apulian cartellate there are few simple ingredients: flour, oil, white wine, to obtain a simple but tasty dessert that will accompany the end of the meal Christmas holidays.

The original recipe for Apulian cappellate

For the recipe for Apulian cartellate you will need:

• 1 kg of flour
• 200 g of olive oil
• 200 g of white wine
• Salt to taste
• 1 liter of peanut oil
• vincotto of wine or figs or honey

Procedure for preparing the Apulian cartellate

1. First, let the olive oil and white wine cool in a saucepan over low heat then, once cooled, add this mixture to a bowl to which add a pinch of salt and the sifted flour.
2. At this point, knead the mixture by hand or with an electric mixer and, if you realize that the dough requires it, add more white wine. The result must be a smooth and homogeneous mixture that you will let rest for about an hour.
3. After this time, use a rolling pin to make the dough thin and cut 2cm wide strips using a serrated wheel.
4. Twist the strips of dough on themselves to obtain the typical crown shape of the folders and leave them to rest overnight.
5. At this point you can proceed with frying in a liter of peanut oil: the carnelians are ready when they have taken on a nice golden colour.
6. For decoration, heat the vincotto in a saucepan for a few minutes, then immerse the folders. For honey, however, it will be sufficient to sprinkle the folders with the help of a spoon. If you like, you can sprinkle a little cinnamon, sugar or chocolate flakes on the surface.

Curiosities about Apulian cartellate

The etymology of the word “cartellate” could refer to the word “carta” (paper) or “incartellare” (i.e. “to wrap up”) or come from the Greek word “kartallos” that is, a pointed-shaped basket.

Cartellate have different names depending on the places where they are prepared: in Bari, for example, they are called “carteddate” or “scartilléte” but also “péttue“, “chelustre” or “sfringioli“. In Gravina in Puglia they are called “chiòsere” while in Salento “cartiddate“. In the province of Foggia, in Lucera they are called “crùstele“, in Torremaggiore “névele“, in San Giovanni Rotondo “carangi“.