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Olivette di Sant'Agata
Almond paste olives
Olivette di Sant'Agata: Catania's green almond-paste olives for St Agatha
Olivette are tiny green 'olives' of almond paste rolled in sugar, sold in Catania for the feast of St Agatha in early February. A legend tells that as the young saint was led to her trial she stopped to tie her shoe, and a wild olive tree sprang up on the spot and fed her. The sweets are made from ground almonds, sugar and a little water, coloured green and shaped in the palm. They are gluten free and dairy free, and children love to help shape them. Use a natural green such as matcha or spinach powder if you prefer. Chef's tip: knead the paste only until smooth, as overworking draws out the almond oil and it turns greasy.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 7 oz caster sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 ¾ oz granulated sugarfor rolling
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 7 oz caster sugar and ¼ cup water in a pan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes.
4 minStep 2: Off the heat, stir in 9 oz blanched ground almonds and ¼ tsp almond extract to a soft paste. Cook over a low heat for 2–3 minutes more, stirring, until it comes away from the pan.
3 minStep 3: Tip onto a board, cool until warm, then knead in 1 pinch green food colouring or 0.5 tsp matcha until evenly pale green.
Step 4: Roll into olive-sized ovals, about 10 g each. A common mistake is making them too big: they should look like real olives.
Step 5: Roll in 1 ¾ oz granulated sugar and leave to dry for a few hours. Store in a tin for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does olivette di Sant'Agata take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of blanched ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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