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Scarcella pugliese
Easter egg biscuit bread
Scarcella: Puglia's Easter biscuit-bread shaped around whole eggs, with icing and sprinkles
In Bari, Foggia and the Salento, scarcelle are baked in the days before Easter, often by children with their grandmothers: a soft, lemony shortbread-like dough shaped into baskets, doves, hearts or dolls, each holding a whole egg in its shell held down by strips of dough, then iced and covered in sprinkles. They are given as gifts on Easter morning and to children as a sign of new life. Chef's tip: use raw eggs in their shells and wash them first; they cook in the oven while the biscuit bakes. They are decorative, so wash and dry them well.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 eggs in their shellswashed and dried, for decoration
- 4 oz icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp coloured sprinkles
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt and the zest of 1 lemon. Add 2 eggs, ½ cup light olive or sunflower oil and ¼ cup milk and knead briefly into a soft, smooth dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Line two trays with baking paper.
Step 3: Keep a quarter of the dough aside. Roll the rest about 1 cm thick and cut into four shapes about 15 cm across, such as hearts, baskets or doves. Put them on the trays.
Step 4: Press one of 4 eggs in their shells into each shape. Roll the reserved dough into thin strips and cross two over each egg, pressing the ends into the base to hold it.
Step 5: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden underneath and firm on top. Common mistake: underbaking; the base stays doughy under the egg. Cool completely.
30 minStep 6: Mix 4 oz icing sugar with 1 tbsp lemon juice into a thick icing, spread it over the biscuits (not the eggs) and scatter with 2 tbsp coloured sprinkles. Leave to set. The baked eggs inside are hard-cooked; if you eat them, do so the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does scarcella pugliese take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Easter