Turdilli Recipe | Traditional Calabrian Christmas Dessert

While not nearly as famous as its more famous cousin, struffoli, this festive Calabrian Christmas dessert packs a lot of flavor and is just as beautiful to look at as it is to eat! It’s composed of fried “gnocchi,” made with olive oil and Vermouth (no sugar!), glazed in fig syrup and decorated with colorful sprinkles.

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TURDILLI RECIPE

Makes: 1 platter of turdilli, enough for a large gathering

Cook Time: 1 ½ hours

For this recipe, you will need:

• 1 cup (250 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup (250 milliliters) red or white Vermouth

• Grated zest of 1 tangerine

• Grated zest of 1 lemon

• Grated zest of 1 orange

• Juice of 1 orange

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

• Pinch of ground cloves

• 100 grams semolina flour

• 500 grams all-purpose or 00 flour, or as needed, plus extra for dusting

• Peanut oil (or other neutral oil) for frying

• 1 cup (250 milliliters) fig syrup

• Multicolored sprinkles for decorating

Combine the olive oil, Vermouth, citrus zests, orange juice, and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring with a whisk. Transfer the mixture into a large, heat-resistant mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.

Stir the semolina flour into the olive oil/Vermouth mixture with a spatula. Gradually add the all-purpose flour while continuing to stir. Once a soft dough forms, transfer it to a floured surface and continue to add the remaining flour while kneading it into the dough. Knead in enough flour until the dough is moldable and no longer sticky, but still quite soft.

Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Cut a chunk of the dough off from the rest (about the size of a tennis ball) and roll it under your palms into a snake—about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. With a knife or dough scraper, slice the snake into pieces—about 1 ½ inches (3.75 cm) long.

Take a piece of the cut dough and place it on a gnocchi board or other ridged surface. Firmly press and roll the piece with two fingertips, resulting in a deep depression on one side and a ridged texture on the other side. Place the finished “gnocco” on a well-floured surface and repeat to form the rest of the dough into turdilli.

Fill a large, deep pan with about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil and heat to 285-300° F (140-150° C). Carefully place the turdilli in the oil (you will likely need to fry in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan). Fry, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes—until deeply browned. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat to fry the remaining turdilli.

Heat the fig syrup in a saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Adding a few at a time, place the cooked turdilli into the syrup and stir them to glaze them evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and arrange on a serving plate in a mound. Repeat to glaze and plate the remaining turdilli.

While the syrup is still warm, decorate the turdilli with sprinkles. Let cool completely before serving. The turdilli will keep, covered, at room temperature for several days.

Buon appetito!