Tuscan wine and olive oil cookies (Ciambellinne al vino)
| February 23, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under any season, cookies, dessert, sweets |
The Italian expression “finire a tarallucci e vino” (literally, “ending with cookies and wine”) means to end up good friends and close things happily (e.g. an evening). These wine cookies (a.k.a. ciambelline or tarallucci) are perfect to make anyone happy, anytime. They are my sister Paola’s specialty: she actually does not measure anything, just uses a glass to eye-ball the ingredients (1 glass each of wine, sugar and oil and then kneads in whatever flour it takes). Essentially they are crunchy sugar cookies made with wine and oil (no eggs or butter) and are a great healthy snack, extra yummy when dipped in wine after dinner. I make them anytime I have some left-over wine, which happened to be just today. You can substitute one third of the flour with almond meal. You can use any kind of wine (red or white): the final color will change slightly. You can use any kind of vegetable oil, but my preference is extra virgin olive oil: it comes through in the taste. They last for a few days. The savory version is also very popular: don’t use sugar and add more salt, some pepper and a tablespoon of fennel seeds.
Tuscan wine and olive oil cookies (Ciambellinne al vino)
1 cup (250 ml) wine of any kind
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (220 g) sugar, plus more for rolling
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 to 4 1/2and cups (500 g) flour, depending on your humidity conditions
A pinch of salt
Turn oven on at 350F (180C).
Roll all the ingredients together until you have a firm but soft dough (think pizza dough).
Roll it into thin cilinders and shape them into rings.
Roll each cookies in sugar and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until medium-dark golden. 
Cool them on a rack.
Eat…repeat…
They make a great after-dinner parting gift too…!!!
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Yummy, the sugary version is new to me, I must try that. I love the fennel taralli and always enjoy making those. My recipe requires poaching the little rings before baking, a little like you would for bagels.
What interesting little cookies. They are so cute and sound delicious!
Hi Amelia, nice to meet you and yuor blog! I love your sweets, are very delicious!
Wow these are great! Love the photos!
ciao lady of the rings, they look yummy!!
Cara Amelia,
l'idea di te italiana a cucinare negli States mi ha incuriosito. Così sono entrata qui, mi sono fatta un giretto… e ci sono stata bene! Complimenti per il tuo blog, che è proprio carino. E che non ho intenzione di perdere di vista…
A presto!
Sabrine
So happy am I to have a new way to use leftover wine! I cannot wait to make these cookies, and your description makes me want some tonight.
I have eaten a savory version, but never a sweet. I'm sure both would be at their best when baked fresh in my own oven. Nice idea.
Wow, thank you for this recipe. I would love to make these as Christmas
gifts. Do you have any idea how long these would still be good if put in tins?
It would also be great if you could put the exact ingredients for the savory version for timid infrequent bakers such as myself.
Mary: prego! They probably might last about 10 days…
As far as the savory version:
200 gr. (7 fl oz. = 2/3 cup) white wine (or more, as needed)
100 gr. (1/2 cup = 3 3/4 fl oz.) olive oil
25 gr. (2 Tbsp) water
1 cake fresh yeast (1 packet of dry yeast = 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 teaspoon salt
fresh grated pepper
500 gr. flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups, depending on your humidity conditions)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Blend together the wine, oil, water and yeast.Add salt and pepper. Finally add the flour and fennel seeds. Knead well. Roll the dough out in long tubes and form some rings. Bake at 180F/350C for about 50 minutes or until golden. Turn oven off and leave them in the oven for a few more minutes to dry off.
p.s. I forgot to mention that the savory ones (as described in the last comment) need to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes before baking (given that they are made with yeast)!!!