The following recipe, prepared by Chef Rossella Rago, appears on CookingWithNonna.com.
Ingredients
For 1 Dozen(s)
For the Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup Nonna’s grape jam or preserve of your choice
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 more for the egg wash
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 eggs for the egg wash
Nonna’s Grape Jam – Yields about 3 cups:
- 5 pounds seedless red grapes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Directions
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To make the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Grease a baking sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 2 eggs and the sugar on medium speed until lemon colored and foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and lemon zest and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until fully absorbed. The dough will be rather soft.
- Flour your hands well. Take a rounded tablespoon of the dough and flatten it into a disk. Add about 1 teaspoon of jam to the center and fold the dough around it to seal. Place the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Beat the remaining 1 egg in a bowl. Brush each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.
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To make the Jam:
- Put a 6-quart (5.7 L) heavy-bottomed stockpot over the lowest heat possible. Add the grapes and sugar and stir to coat the grapes. Cover and cook until the mixture is bubbling, about 1 hour.
- Uncover the pot and cook until the grapes have cooked down, about 3 hours. Do not stir the pot at all during cooking. This will make the grapes stick and you will have to stir constantly.
- The grapes will break down and become a jam on their own. Cool completely and transfer the jam to a jar. Keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.
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