Taralle are traditional large ring-shaped biscuits that are boiled, and then baked. There are probably as many taralle recipes as there are Italian families in America. Our family has always made two varieties of taralle, one sweet, the other savory. The salt and pepper taralle were always served as appetizers at parties. The sweet taralle are ideal for a light dessert or a breakfast biscuit.
Because taralle are large biscuits, they always have their own tray and are never mixed in with our other cookies. They have a great crunchy exterior and an airy center. One of the original recipes from my Aunt Giulia actually included 12 tablets of Brioschi, an antacid, as an ingredient! (The acidity in the antacid tablets probably served as baking powder does—to leaven and lighten the dough.)