Ceglie biscuit

The Ceglie biscuit (in Salento dialect “U Pesquet”) is a typical biscuit from Ceglie Messapica, a city in the province of Brindisi. It is a recipe that is part of the peasant tradition, in fact it is said that during weddings or the most important banquets, these biscuits were prepared to offer to the guests. They are prepared with almonds, local fruits widely used in cooking, and filled with jam: for this very reason, it is possible to find them in the town’s bakeries with grape, cherry, fig or quince jam. But the Cegliese biscuit can also be prepared at home, using simple ingredients to obtain sweets with a delicious taste and aroma. They are perfect for accompanying tea or as a snack but also as a gift to someone you love. These biscuits are so good that they have been awarded the Slow Food Presidium recognition.

How to prepare the Ceglie biscuit

The recipe for the Ceglie biscuit is handed down from generation to generation, a preparation based on genuine ingredients that is very easy to make at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of toasted almonds
• 150 g jam (to taste)
• 500 g of granulated sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 lemon
• 50 g honey
• 10 ml of citrus rosolio (a typical liqueur based on alcohol, water, sugar and citrus fruits such as lemon, bergamot, cedar and mandarin).

Method:

1. Toast the almonds in the oven, then grind them by cutting them into coarse pieces (be careful not to reduce them to flour).
2. Mix the almonds with sugar, honey, grated lemon peel, eggs, gradually adding the citrus fruit rub oil, until you obtain a smooth and non-sticky dough.
3. Spread the dough on the baking paper and, on one edge, spread the jam; then close, folding the strip, leaving the jam in the centre.
4. Using a knife, make irregularly shaped biscuits (like cubes of approximately 4 cm) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 160-180°.

If you like, once cooked, Ceglie biscuits can be covered with a glaze made of sugar and cocoa, called “Gileppo“. To prepare it you will need:

• 1 liter of water
• 1 kg of sugar
• 100 g of bitter cocoa

In a pan, add the water with the sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool, stirring until the cream becomes white. Melt the icing in a bain-marie, add the cocoa and mix well until it becomes an icing with which to glaze the Ceglie biscuits.