BUSSOLAI O ESSE

VENETIAN BISCUITS

The recipe for bussolai is the same as for esse, the only difference is their shape: a ring for bussolai and an ‘S’ shape for esse. They are typical of the island of Burano; buy them in bulk at the bakery or pasticceria. They are perfect for dunking in a sweet wine like a recioto at the end of a meal. They keep in an airtight container for three weeks.

MAKES 20–30 DEPENDING ON SHAPE PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES RESTING TIME: 1¹/₄ HOURS COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES

3 egg yolks

100 g (3¹/₂ oz)caster (superfine) sugar

120 g (4¹/₄ oz)butter, softened

Seeds from ¹/₂ vanilla bean

Grated zest of 1 lemon

250 g (9 oz/1²/₃ cups) flour

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the softened butter, a pinch of salt, the vanilla, lemon zest and finally the sifted flour. Knead the dough without overworking it. Let it rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) fan-forced. Cut the dough into 10 cm (4 inch) sticks and make 1 cm (¹/₂ inch) sausages to form into ring or ‘S’ shapes. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the biscuits on it. Return to the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake for about 15 minutes: keep an eye on them as they cook as they mustn’t colour. They will be a little soft when they come out of the oven but they will harden as they cool.

NOTE

There is also a version of bussolai that is more like a grissini. These Venetian biscuits are made from a bread dough with milk replacing the water and are called bigarani or ossi da morto (dead man’s bones). Their name comes from their rounded shape with a swollen end which looks like a bone!