From the enchanting Venetian lagoon on the Adriatic sea in
Italy, when Venice was the center of commerce with Asia
from the 13th to the 19th centuries, organic baking
traditions were born that are still practiced today by
housewives and pastry chefs. Explorers and sailors carried
foodstuffs on board the merchant and war galleons that
would survive the long voyages in the perilous seas. Among
these were sweet treats, simple to make, that in name and
taste, reflected their Venetian origins. Not to mention
that in those days, the only existing agriculture created
organic food; no pesticides or additives were used in
foods, except those from mother nature herself.
The Queen of these, and the most famous, is the organic
cookie named "Biscotti Baicoli". Created in the 1700's,
the word "baicoli" is Venetian dialect for sea bass. In
fact, their long, oval, thin shape is very similar to the
small sea bass which inhabit the lagoon. At that time,
bakers supplied them to coffee shops, or they were served
to house guests along with zabaglione cream, hot chocolate
or tea. Still others served them with a sweet Doge's
desert wine, the Venetian Moscato dei Doge.
Today they are considered a delicate, light, yet flavorful
organic cookie to be enjoyed by everyone. In fact, almost
every child in Venice today knows the poem in Venetian
dialect which brags of the goodness of the Baicoli and its
Venetian origins.
In the lagoon sits Burano, the fisherman's island, famous
for it's rows of brightly colored houses. From this very
small island comes the organic cookie "Bussola Buranello",
which translated, means the compass of Burano. Here too,
the marine traditions date back centuries. Baked in a
shape outlining a circle, or a backwards "s", this cookie
was a typical Easter treat, kneaded at home by the women of
Burano, and then brought to the baker's for baking. On
feast days, it was dipped in holy wine "vin santo", or in
local whites. Packaged, they were placed in the middle of
clothes drawers in order to scent them with the delicious
aroma characteristic of this cookie.
Still today, considered a genuine and nutritional organic
cookie, it is enjoyed in the same manner, or served to
children.
Both organic cookies are easy to prepare, with simple
organic food ingredients. The recipes follow:
Biscotti Baicoli -
Organic Food Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups flour, ¼ cup
melted butter (unsalted), ¼ cup sugar, 1 small glass
of milk, one half ounce of yeast
Dissolve the yeast in a small amount of tepid milk in a
glass, and then mix it together with ¼ cup of flour.
Form a ball and leave it to rest, covered by a cloth, in a
warm place until it doubles in volume (approx 30 min).
Mix together the remaining ingredients, starting with the
flour and sugar, then the melted butter, and finally the
tepid milk. (You may also add a bit of freshy squeezed
orange juice for more flavor) Add the leavened dough and
knead all together.
Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and place the bowl in a
larger bowl of boiling hot water in the oven (turned off),
for at least one hour.
Divide the dough in roughly 6 long, oval shapes, each
roughly 3 inches in width. Cook in the oven for approx 10
minutes at 300°, and then increase the temperature to
430° until completely cooked (approx 1 hour). Remove
from the oven and let cool completely. Then thinly slice
the 6 oval shapes into organic cookies, and put them back
in the oven to "toast" for approx 20 min at 120° -
175°.
Dip in hot tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Or serve with
zabaglione cream or a sweet desert wine.
Bussola Buranello -
Organic Food Ingredients: 6 egg yolks, 1 cup butter
softened at room temperature, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, a
dash of extract (choosed between, vanilla, lemon or anise,
the island tradition), a dash of salt.
On a kitchen workspace, form a volcano shape with the
flour, and in the middle create a crater where you add the
softened butter (not melted).
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the sugar. Then add
this to the flour /butter mixture, and quickly knead /mix
with your hands.
Take the dough and create the desired cookie shapes
(outline of a circle or backwards "s") and cook in the oven
at 350° until done.
Modern versions add dark chocolate chips, raisins, or
substitute a bit of the white flour with coconut flour.
Serve these organic treats at home along with your usual
array of organic foods or try them on your friends at your
next gathering. Bring to your table a culinary, organic,
pastry delight which is centuries old, yet enjoyed every
day by Venetians and tourists alike.
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By Heather Bettendorf - President, PRIMA Organic Cookies (
http://www.primaorganic.com ) - Offering gourmet organic
cookies from Italy. Our unique cookie formulations and
combinations include Italian Almond, Natural Lemon,
Venetian Classic, and Sunny Vanilla.
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