According to the legend, Baci di dama (or Lady’s Kisses) were created at the end of the nineteenth century, in Tortona (Piedmont, Northern Italy), from the imagination of a cook who worked for the Savoy Royal family.
Writings tell us that, in November 1852, on a cold evening, King Vittorio Emanuele II, eager to enjoy a different kind of sweet, invited the cook to prepare a new recipe.
With the ingredients at his disposal, the cook created some small, delicious and fragrant butter cookies, from that moment always present on the tables of Royal Houses of Europe.
The name comes from the shape of the dessert that, combined with a layer of dark chocolate, recalls the kiss of a lady.
The recipe is secret but by following a few small steps, you can enjoy them, waiting to taste true Baci di dama on one of your next trips to Italy.
Our suggested pairing is Amaranto del Pozzo Buono 2020 by Vicari: “A persistence of taste and smell, of ripe fruit, and a moderate residual sugar invite the taster to repeat the sip. An elegant sample that pairs perfectly with bitter chocolate or dry pastries.” For the full review click here.
© Ph. Piero Pardini – Piero Pardini Wine Reviews – The Wolf Post
Ingredients for 30 cookies
- 150 g toasted hazelnuts (or almonds), chopped
- 100 g brown sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g brown rice flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon organic “Bourbon” vanilla powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 80 g dark chocolate
©Veronica Lavenia- The Wolf Post
Method:
- Blend the hazelnuts (or almonds) in a food processor with the sugar.
- In a bowl, add the softened butter, cut into pieces, flour, chopped hazelnuts and mix.
- Add the vanilla powder, salt and knead until you have a compact dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it stand in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Once the dough has hardened, take small portions (the size of a walnut) and roll them into small balls. Arrange the balls on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Put the balls again in the refrigerator for at least another 30 minutes.
- Bake and cook in the oven at 180°C (350°F/ gas 4) for about 10 minutes, or until the base of the cookie is not golden.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the cookies are cooked, let cool.
- Using a spoon, place the melted chocolate (cooled down enough to make it thick) on the flat side of the cookie and cover with another cookie.
