Sweet crescents of chickpea-and-chocolate filling wrapped in a crisp wine-and-oil dough — the traditional dolce di Natale of Abruzzo. Makes about 40 pastries.1
The Filling
Ingredients
- 300 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled until very soft (or about 600 g cooked/canned chickpeas, rinsed and simmered 15 minutes)
- 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 80 g dark chocolate, finely grated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange (organic, unwaxed)
- 50 g candied citron, finely diced
- 80 g walnuts, chopped
- 100–130 ml mosto cotto (cooked grape must) or mild honey, to taste
- Pinch of salt
Preparation
- Drain the chickpeas well and pass them through a food mill or sieve (or pulse in a food processor) to obtain a smooth, fairly dry purée. Removing the skins gives a finer texture.
- Transfer the purée to a bowl and mix in the cocoa powder, grated chocolate, cinnamon, orange zest, candied citron, walnuts, and salt.
- Add the mosto cotto or honey gradually, mixing until the filling holds together and is softly scoopable — it should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, not runny. Adjust sweetness to taste. (A tablespoon of liqueur such as rum or mistrà is a traditional option, but optional.)
- Cover and let the filling rest while you make the dough — at least 30 minutes — so the flavors meld and the chocolate softens.
The Dough
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour (Italian tipo 00)
- 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 150 ml dry white wine
- Pinch of salt
- A little water, as needed
- (Optional, not traditional: ½ tsp baking powder for a lighter, blistered shell)
Preparation
- Mound the flour on a work surface with the salt (and baking powder, if using) and make a well. Pour in the olive oil, then the wine.
- Work the liquids into the flour, then knead for 8–10 minutes, adding water a teaspoon at a time only if needed, until you have a smooth, supple, elastic dough. It should feel silky, not sticky.
- Wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (or refrigerate up to a day; bring back to room temperature before rolling).
Assembly and Frying
- Roll the dough as thin as possible — thin enough to almost see your hand through it, about 1 mm. This thinness is the signature of a good caggionetto.
- Cut circles about 7–8 cm in diameter (a water glass or cutter works well). Gather and re-roll the scraps.
- Place a scant teaspoon of filling slightly off-center on each circle. Fold over into a half-moon, press out the air, seal the edge firmly, and crimp with the tines of a fork. Seal well — the filling escaping into hot oil is the classic disaster of the novice caggionetto-maker.
- Heat about 3 cm of olive oil in a wide pan to ~175 °C (350 °F) — a scrap of dough should sizzle immediately but not blacken. Fry the pastries a few at a time, turning once, until golden and lightly blistered, about 1–2 minutes per side.
- Drain on paper towels. While still warm, dust generously with regular cane sugar.
Notes
- Serving and keeping: Best eaten the day they are made, while the shell is crisp and shatteringly light; they soften pleasantly by the next day and are still good for several days stored in a tin. The sugar adheres best when dusted while warm.
- Chestnut variation: The other classic Teramo filling substitutes roasted, sieved chestnuts for the chickpeas.
- Tradition: Historically these were first served after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve; today they appear as soon as the chestnut season begins.