The original recipe of the Benedictine nuns of Palma di Montechiaro in Sicily to make the "literary" Ricci del Gattopardo
The Ricci del Gattopardo are not hair, but biscuits, made famous by the famous novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and still produced, as in the past, in the convent of Palma di Montechiaro, a small town in the province of Agrigento in Sicily. The Benedictine nuns of the cloistered monastery of the SS. Rosario still use the same ancient recipe of the time of the Prince of Salina; and sell them to visitors.
In the book by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa: "The monastery of Santo Spirito was subject to a strict rule of enclosure and entry was strictly forbidden to men. Precisely for this reason the Prince was particularly pleased to visit him, because for him, a direct descendant of the foundress, the exclusion did not apply, and this privilege of his, which he only shared with the King of Naples, was jealous and childishly proud. (…) he liked the almond cakes that the nuns made on centenary recipes .
Today the monastery still sells them for € 20 a kilo, but now the pastry shops around it and especially on Easter days also prepare them. Here is the original recipe for making them at home
Ingredients
– 400 g of Agrigentine Almond flour
– 400 g of white granulated sugar
– 4 whole fresh eggs
– the peel of a grated lemon
Method
In a bowl mix the almond flour, sugar, whole eggs and grated lemon rind. Knead with your hands, or with the help of a planetary mixer, until you obtain a homogeneous and consistent mixture.
Pour the mixture into a resistant pastry bag with a wide star nozzle at least 2 cm in diameter, or use an extrusion biscuit form.
Create logs of dough about 8 centimeters long and leave space between one and the other. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake at 180 ° C in a preheated oven for at least 10 minutes, until they are golden brown.
The biscuits are stored in a tin box for weeks, in a cool, dry place.
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