Pinocchiati (Pine nut crisps)
- Preparation time: 30 minutes.
- Cooking time: 15 minutes.
- 500g sugar
- 150g plain white flour
- 300g pine nuts
- 20 circles of rice paper about 5cm in diameter.
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Heat the sugar with half a glass of water in a saucepan.
Dissolve the sugar completely over a low heat and cook until the mixture thickens. Take care not to let the sugar burn.
Remove from the heat and add the shelled pine nuts stirring briskly all the time. Place the circles of rice paper on your working surface and spread even quantities of the mixture on top of each piece. Leave until completely cool before serving. Instead of individual biscuits, you could make one large round using a single, circular piece of rice paper. Spread all the mixture on top and cut into small pieces.
This recipe is uniquely Florentine in origin. Sweet morsels, such as pinocchiati, were a typical starter to meals during the Renaissance. Today they can still be found in Umbria where they also add cocoa powder to the recipe. They are perfect little tea-time nibbles on dull, rainy afternoons.
