Italian Honey Cookies (Turdilli)
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This is a family favorite, brought over from Calabria, Italy with my Great Grandmother Maria Iacoi. My mom learned how to make these cookies years ago and translated the recipe to paper as she watched her grandmother eyeball the ingredients. The original recipe uses a 5lb bag of flour and makes a TON of cookies so I’ve halved it for you here. It still makes quite a few cookies but before they get their sticky coating they do freeze really well.
Click here to watch a video of my mom and I making these cookies a few years ago!
Cookie Ingredients
8 1/2 cups of flour
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbl salt
Vegetable OR canola oil for frying (quantity dependant on if you have a small deep fryer or will be frying in a pan on the stove top. If stove top you will need a pan with some depth and you’ll want the cookies to be submerged in the fry oil. If using a fryer then fill to your fill line for frying.
Sticky Coating Ingredients
1/4 cup Honey (this is traditional coating but for non-honey vegans follow the adaptation)
1-2 tsp Cinnamon dependent on flavor preference
Vegan Adaptation: 1/8th cup Brown Rice Syrup, 1/8th cup Maple Syrup, 1-2 tsp Cinnamon
Directions
In a medium saucepan add the oils and water and heat on low until the blend is warm.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour and salt and make a well in the center to add the oil/water blend. Mix thoroughly (I use a wooden spoon until it’s combined enough to switch to my hands, but be careful if you’ve overheated your oil blend it will be HOT!) Continue to mix until you can turn it out onto a flat surface and knead it until it’s smooth, about 5-8min. Make the dough into a log shape and drape a kitchen towel over it and let it rest for 10-15 min to allow the gluten to develop. This is a good time to heat your oil on the stove or in your deep fryer. You want your oil approx 375 degrees.
Once the dough is ready cut slices (think bread) and cover the main log of dough again to keep it moist. Roll slices into long coils approx 1/2” thick and then use a sharp knife to slice the coil into 2” pieces. Using a gnocci board or tightly woven basket form, press and roll each coil on the texture so they have a bit of a funnel shape and take on the texture and. Once your oil has reached temp carefully drop 12-20 cookies into the hot oil (depends on size of pan you’re using but you want them to have a bit of space to float and not be overcrowded) Fry until golden brown, 5-8 min. Scoop them out and let them drain and cool on sheets of paper towels.
Once cooled you can freeze the cookies for coating later or you can coat them and serve them the same day. When you’re ready to coat them in a non stick frying pan you may need to coat them in batches so divide your liquid up into batches as well. You only want enough liquid to coat the cookies not drown them. Heat honey OR vegan b.rice syrup and maple syrup and cinnamon over medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon until it begins to froth or bubble. Add the cookies and toss to coat over low heat and once they are coated place them on a plate to cool, If you use too much liquid they will become glued together, you want just enough to coat the cookies. Once cooled they should pull apart with little effort.
