Brigidini are thin, yellow-orange coloured cookies, not unlike waffles, that come from the village of Lamporecchio, near Pistoia. You will find them at almost every fair, events and food festival that takes place in Tuscany, often made fresh, right in front of you. They are one of the oldest sweets still made today in Tuscany and have even come to symbolise the region. Like many well-known products of Italian cuisine, they seem to have been born from a mistake. Local lore tells that they back to 1300, when Sister Brigida, made a pilgrimage, from her country of Sweden, to Tuscany. Here, she founded the Order of the “Brigidine” and, one day, while she was preparing the hosts for the Mass, she made a mistake. The result were some crumbly, thin and tasty anise cookies.
Made of flour, eggs, sugar and anise, they are easily made and offered, usually, at the end of a meal, with a glass of Vin Santo. Pellegrino Artusi, in the famous “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” described them as like “a veil, light as a dry leaf, fragile as a bubble of wind”.
Best enjoyed at a fair or festival, of which there is no shortage of options in Tuscany each summer, they can, however, also be made at home to get your house smelling of the region and get you excited for a Tuscan vacation. Just find a vacation rental in Tuscany and seek them out at a festival as you have fun and enjoy the festivities.
Ingredients:
(Makes around 60 Brigidini)
400g of baking flour
200g of sugar
50ml of olive oil
6 eggs
1 tablespoon of aniseeds
A pinch of salt and vanilla extract
Method:
1. Beat eggs until frothy, then add sugar and aniseeds.
2. Work the mixture vigorously adding flour, salt and vanilla until you get a fairly smooth and soft dough. Leave to stand for an hour in a dry and cool place.
3. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
4. Cut the dough into small pieces and make many balls as big as nuts.
5. Roll them out thinly, to make the wafers.
6. Place onto a baking tray lined with non stick baking paper, allowing room for the wafers to spread and bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Enjoy and plan your trip to Tuscany!
Best enjoyed at a fair or festival, of which there is no shortage of options in Tuscany each summer, they can, however, also be made at home to get your house smelling of the region and get you excited for a Tuscan vacation. Just find a vacation rental in Tuscany and seek them out at a festival as you have fun and enjoy the festivities.
Ingredients:
(Makes around 60 Brigidini)
400g of baking flour
200g of sugar
50ml of olive oil
6 eggs
1 tablespoon of aniseeds
A pinch of salt and vanilla extract
Method:
1. Beat eggs until frothy, then add sugar and aniseeds.
2. Work the mixture vigorously adding flour, salt and vanilla until you get a fairly smooth and soft dough. Leave to stand for an hour in a dry and cool place.
3. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
4. Cut the dough into small pieces and make many balls as big as nuts.
5. Roll them out thinly, to make the wafers.
6. Place onto a baking tray lined with non stick baking paper, allowing room for the wafers to spread and bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Enjoy and plan your trip to Tuscany!
Photo credit: zero.the.hero / CC BY-SA 2.0
