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Torciglione umbro
Torciglione: Perugia's almond-paste Christmas serpent
Around Lake Trasimeno and in Perugia, the Christmas sweet table is watched over by a coiled serpent made of almond paste, its back armoured with pine-nut scales, two coffee beans for eyes and a sliver of candied cherry for a tongue. Torciglione is said to recall the eels of the lake, or the snake as a symbol of renewal, and it is eaten in thin slices through the holidays. Inside it is soft and chewy like a marzipan biscuit, with a crisp, golden shell, and it is naturally free of flour. Chef's tip: wet your hands to roll the paste into the rope; it shapes smoothly and won't crack as it bakes.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 10 ½ oz ground almonds, 7 oz caster sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest in a bowl. Whisk 2 egg whites lightly with ¼ tsp almond extract, keep 1 tablespoon aside, and work the rest into the almonds to make a firm, sticky paste.
Step 3: With wet hands, roll the paste into a rope about 50 cm long and 4 cm thick, slightly fatter at one end for the head.
Step 4: Coil it into an S or a loose spiral on the tray. Pinch the thin end into a tail and press the head into a flattened oval.
Step 5: Brush with the reserved egg white and press 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts all over the back in overlapping rows like scales. Push in 2 coffee beans for eyes and a sliver of 1 candied cherry for the tongue.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden all over and firm to the touch. Common mistake: baking until hard in the oven; it crisps as it cools, so take it out while the middle still gives a little.
30 minStep 7: Cool on the tray, dust lightly with 1 tbsp icing sugar and cut in slices. Keeps well wrapped for a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torciglione umbro take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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