Saint Martin's Cookies

11/06/2024

In a few days, Saint Martin's Summer will arrive, a period in autumn generally marked by good weather and higher-than-average temperatures. It’s a brief spell, as the saying goes, “Saint Martin's summer lasts three days and a little bit,” but it's a cheerful and carefree time celebrated with festivals and fairs all over Italy, where people enjoy roasted chestnuts and open barrels to taste the new wine… after all, it couldn't be any other way during the feast of Saint Martin, “when every must becomes wine”!

Composite autumn-themed photo with a vineyard, roasted chestnuts, harvested grape clusters, and wine barrels

To celebrate these days, our Cesarina Francesca from Palermo has shared her recipe for preparing the most classic dessert of this period: Saint Martin's cookies.

Saint Martin's Cookies

The traditional Sicilian sweets for November 11th, with an intoxicating aroma of anise and cinnamon.

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time30m

Cooking time30m

€

CostLow

Ingredients

For the dough (about 15 cookies):
500 g all-purpose flour
100 g sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon anise or fennel seeds
25 g fresh yeast
170 ml lukewarm water
30 ml Marsala wine
120 g lard
A pinch of salt
For the syrup:
100 ml water
30 ml Marsala wine
60 g sugar
For the ricotta cream:
500 g ricotta cheese
150 g sugar
100 g dark chocolate chips
Powdered sugar and cinnamon for decoration

Method

For the cream:

Drain the ricotta overnight; the next day, sift it and add the sugar and chocolate chips.
Place it in the fridge to rest.

For the dough:

In a food processor, combine the sifted flour, sugar, lard, salt, and fennel seeds. Blend until the lard is crumbly. Then, add the yeast dissolved in lukewarm water and the Marsala wine.
Knead until the mixture becomes soft, then let it rise in a warm place.
Once the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface, knead it by hand, and divide it into 50 g portions.
Shape into balls and arrange them on a baking tray, spacing them apart, and let them rise until they double in size.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes, until golden on top.

For the syrup:

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil.
Then, remove from heat and let it cool. Add the Marsala wine.

Assembly:

Cut off the top part of the cookies with a sharp knife, slicing downward. Set the tops aside.
Lightly scrape the inside of the cookie and soak it with the syrup.
Put the ricotta in a piping bag and fill the cookies.
Replace the top, slightly soaked.
Decorate the surface of the cookies with plenty of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Francesca Maria

The Legend of Saint Martin

Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier stationed in Gaul. One day, while returning home during a torrential rainstorm, he encountered a beggar who was freezing and without clothes. Moved by the sight, the soldier cut a part of his cloak and gave it to the cold man. Miraculously, the storm suddenly stopped, and the weather cleared. That night, Martin had a dream in which the beggar appeared to thank him for the gift and revealed his true identity: he was Jesus Christ himself. Shocked by this revelation, Martin laid down his weapons, converted to Christianity, and began traveling far and wide to spread the Word. It is no coincidence that Saint Martin is the patron saint of pilgrims. He was appointed Bishop of Tours in 371 AD and died on November 8, 397 AD, with his funeral taking place three days later. This is why Saint Martin is celebrated on November 11.

Saint Martin gives part of his cloak to a beggar

Saint Martin's Summer in Italy and Abroad

In Italy, the celebrations for Saint Martin are particularly significant in Venice, where children wander the streets singing rhymes and asking for money to buy sweets. However, this holiday is also observed in other European countries, including Germany, France, and Austria. In English-speaking countries, this time of year is known as "Indian Summer".

Undergrowth with yellowing leaves falling