These could be considered the Italian equivalent to pretzels, they are that famous! They are typical of Apulia, a region in the South of Italy, but you can also find them in the surrounding areas. Well, nowadays you can easily find them everywhere in Italy and I often find them here too! Anyhow… on my quest to replicate all the Italian flavours I grew up enjoying, I thought of trying these out too, just in case the shops stop stocking them for no apparent reason (and believe me, things like that happen all the time around here). Taralli come in different flavours but the most common ones would be “pepper” and “fennel seeds” (even though “chillies” are quite popular too). My favourite ones are the fennel seeds taralli… so I decided to try these out. I have to say they tasted really good. The only thing is that shaping them was a bit tricky given that fennel seeds are thick and they were tearing the dough in some points, but you would not have that problem with other flavours. Be creative, you can use so many herbs and spices! The possibilities are endless! They are really good with a glass of cold white wine or a cocktail (like my Mojito) as an aperitivo, perfect for a dinner party. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano
Ingredients (makes 100 small taralli):
500 gms flour
125 gms extra virgin olive oil
10 gms salt
200 ml white wine
½ tbsp fennel seeds (or pepper, chilli powder or whatever herb or spice you fancy)
Put the flour, extra virgin olive oil, salt, white wine and fennel seeds in a mixer with a dough hook and knead for 10 minutes until you get a smooth and pliable dough.
Put it in a bowl and cover it with kitchen paper. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
Then divide the dough in small pieces and roll them into ropes about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Cut these ropes into segments approximately 8 cm long.
Join the ends of the segments by forming a drop like shape and press lightly with your finger.
Put all the taralli on a clean tea towel.
In the meantime, put some water in a pot and bring it to a boil. When it boils, drop the taralli into it a dozen at a time. Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they come up and start floating.
Put them on a clean tea towel to dry for a minute or two.
Then transfer them on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C (200°C for a fan forced oven) for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove from the oven and let them cool down completely before serving them along with a glass of cold white wine or a cocktail (like my Mojito).
They are best eaten the same day, but you can keep the leftovers in a cookie jar/tin for a couple of days, if they last that long.
This is the exact recipe my grandmother from Bari, Italy and my mother made in the 60’s. I continue the traditional, and my family and I still enjoy. I only make these in the “winter” months, so it became a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition.I have so far this year make 20 lbs. for family and friends.Love, Love Love these pretzels, we called them TaDa’s.
Hai fatto i taralli ?!?!?!?!?! They are my drug! I have to learn how to make them!
mmmm….buonissimi!!
Grazie per la ricetta. 🙂
Di niente, sono contenta che ti piaccia! 🙂
Yum, I love fennel seed in bread. I’m growing some for seed at the moment so bookmarking these taralli for when the seeds have set.
Beautiful pictures and the margarita looks amazing. Glad you find you via SRC! Great job
These are so cute and I bet my kids would enjoy eating it. I realized there are so many Italian food that I haven’t heard of like this one particular. Looks yummy, Manu!
BRAVA!!! spiegazione perfetta!!
Giulia
Beautiful – I have read about these but never had a go at making them myself. Look very yummy…I have bookmarked this recipe and will have a go sometime.
Thanks Manu, looks wonderful. Do you know is there is swet version? or this should not be sweet? I know countries have traditions, that is why I’m asking.
Thanks Nydia! 🙂 This margarita is still on the sweet side (though lime is tart too). But I have had strawberry margarita in Mexico! I have never made it… but I have found this recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21419/frozen+strawberry+margarita And it looks quite similar to what I had. Also, use sugar for the rim of your glasses if you make the strawberry version. Then, my friend Ray from wokwithray.net has recently published a recipe for a watermelon mojito (http://wokwithray.net/wwr/2011/08/watermelon-mojito/) and he says he intended to make watermelon margarita but had run out of tequila! So that’s another option! 🙂 Let me know! 🙂
Wow looks some thing new for me, Taralli!! sound is interesting… I like to learning italian recipes from u Manu…they Tarali looks so tempting. Thanks for sharing this.
These are such a cutie, Manu! 😀
I really really admire you! You can cook and bake almost EVERYTHING! Not only that, I’d learnt so many delicious food that I’ve never ever seen or heard before from the day I known you! You’re just so… SO FANTASTIC! 😉
I love learning new italian recipes from you Manu…they are so tempting and inviting..another must try 🙂
Ah I remember eating these when I was in Italy! I am so happy you posted these and brought back those wonderful memories. I cannot wait to try these.
I have never tried these but these babies are making me drool. Italian pretzel yumm yum yum… I really like fennel seeds, its aroma is so seductive and delicious, I am so going to make these. They will taste really nice with Indian chai(Tea)i am thinking..
What a wonderful post with such clear instruction. I love it Manu…
I grew up in an Italian household and never sniffed an Italian pretzel. My education is sadly lacking – but not anymore – just wonderful!
I love using fennel seeds in homemade bread so these little beauties must be fantastic. They remind me of mini-bagels, and serving them with a cocktail? Enough said. 🙂
I got to try this..Love these so much…thank you for the recipe, and great photo instruction Manuela!
Oh boy! Those look very yummy! Italian pretzel sounds good to me!
Hi There, This is looking absolutely delightful. Loved the new combo of ingredients and the recipe is so nicely made and presented. Saving this recipe of urs and wud love to give ur version a try on the coming weekend. Have a great day….Sonia !!!
Manu these look and sound incredible!! I think I might brave the fennel seeds because now that you’ve mentioned it, I can’t imagine these any other way!
I’m Italian, but I’ve never heard of these before! They look so good!
The other recipes I’ve seen have been really complicated, but this looks worth trying.
These will go down so well with a few drinks during happy hour!!
These taralli are also a popular snack in Israel, there is such a large Mediterranean influence on the food here, explaining their popularity. Your’s turned out beautifully. They look like a bit of work but well worth the effort 🙂
Manuela, I love that you always introduce me to something new. These look so delicious, I would gobble up a whole lot of these. Great post!
Italian pretzels? Sign me up!!!!
Taralli and a mojito? Sounds like heaven to me!
I do want to make this , they are cute like a little donuts I am sure the taste is great also this is surely a hit with my kids =)
I love taralli (I’m Apulian, after all), and I made them a few times… I think that tarallini are the most difficult to make (’cause they’re so small), so next time I wanna try the bigger ones 🙂