Sos Papassinos
Sos Papassinos
Raisin and Nut Cookies
There are literally hundreds of versions of sos papassinos, a hard glazed cookie made for the All Saints’ and All Souls’ holidays in November. Some use just walnuts or just almonds in the lard-based dough; others use a mix of almond meal, nuts, and fennel seeds; some are sweetened with sapa (see page 211) and flavored with cinnamon and cloves. The possible variations are endless. The one constant, though, is raisins. The word papassinos is related to a word in the Sardinian dialect for dried grapes. Like many sweets made for these holidays, the cookies are hard (though not as dry and hard as twice-baked biscotti), but not unpleasantly so. The glaze and sprinkles are a festive addition to cookies baked for a somber holiday.
Ingredients (12)
Ingredients (12)
For the dough
For the glaze
Instructions
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the dough
Stir together the flour and granulated sugar, then add the lard and work it into the flour mixture by hand, squeezing the pieces flat as you go.
Continue to mix with your fingertips until the lard is grainy and flour-covered.
Add the eggs and milk and stir to combine, then knead in the walnuts, almonds, raisins, and lemon zest until well distributed.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Cut the dough into 2 by 2-inch diamonds using a knife or cookie cutter.
Place the slices on the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least ½ inch apart. Bake until the cookies turn golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl.
Brush the glaze over the cooled cookies. Top with the sprinkles (2 Tbsp) and set aside to dry.
Notes
Notes
To make the cookies gluten-free, replace the “00” flour with King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
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