Sugar Crusted Twisted Cookies [Torcettini Di ST.Vincent ]

The cookies taste quite unique too and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sudden burst of lemon zest with crunchy sugar crust on the outside and soft pillowy inside making it by far the best cookies in terms of texture and taste that’s one of a kind. I had to mentally and physically spat my hand every now and then after they were popped out of the oven as the wonderful aroma of these freshly baked cookies were unbelievably resisting for me to stray away. I had to rush myself in clicking some decent pictures not to mention their cute appeal.

Recipe adapted from (Adapted from A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri)

Step-by-Step Pictorial:

Add yeast to a bowl of warm water. Dissolve and keep aside for it to proof. In a food processor, pulse flour and salt until mixed. Add butter and pulse until well mixed and the flour-butter mixture is powdery.
Add yeast-water mixture and pulse until everything comes together and the dough resembles that of a ball. Do not over process or knead. In a well-oiled bowl, place the dough turn it once to coat oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about an hour.The dough doesn’t double but after the hour it will be puffy and when pinched the inside will look like a honeycomb. Press down the excess gas and deflate it. Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 325F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator when ready and lightly roll the dough into 6″ square. If the dough is sticky, scatter a little sugar on it. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel cut the dough into four equal strips vertically and cutting them further into 6 horizontally making a total of 24 equal pieces. The measurements need not be perfect, the goal is to get equal pieces of dough to get a fairly equal size and shaped cookies.

Roll each piece into a pencil thick rope about 5″ long. Gently roll each rope on sugar and fold the rope one on top of another forming a loop. Place the Torcettini on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet leaving about 1 1/2″ of space between each of them. Let the cookies sit for about 20 minutes to puff about a bit. Bake them on the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire rack and store them in airtight container though I doubt they need much of storing as they seem to disappear like smoke almost immediately. This recipe makes about 24 and are best eaten the same day. Enjoy!!!

Sugar Crusted Twisted Cookies [Torcettini Di ST.Vincent ]

Ingredients

• Warm Water (about 110 F) — 1/2 cup
• Active Dry Yeast (or 1 tsp instant yeast) — 1 1/4 tsp
• All Purpose Flour — 1 1/2 cups
• Salt — 1/4 tsp
• Lemon/Lime Zest — 1 tsp
• Unsalted Butter (cold and cut into small pieces) — 40 gms (about 3 Tbsp)
• Sugar for rolling the cookies — about 1/3 cup

Instructions

1. Add yeast to a bowl of warm water. Dissolve and keep aside for it to proof.
2. In a food processor, pulse flour and salt until mixed. Add butter and pulse until well mixed and the flour-butter mixture is powdery.
3. Add yeast-water mixture and pulse until everything comes together and the dough resembles that of a ball. Do not over process or knead. In a well-oiled bowl, place the dough turn it once to coat oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about an hour.
4. The dough doesn’t double but after the hour it will be puffy and when pinched the inside will look like a honeycomb. Press down the excess gas and deflate it. Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate it for atleast an hour or up to 24 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator when ready and lightly roll the dough into 6″ square. If the dough is sticky, scatter a little sugar on it. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel cut the dough into four equal strips vertically and cutting them further into 6 horizontally making a total of 24 equal pieces. The measurements need not be perfect, the goal is to get equal pieces of dough to get a fairly equal size and shaped cookies.
6. Roll each piece into a pencil thick rope about 5″ long. Gently roll each rope on sugar and fold the rope one on top of another forming a loop. Place the Torcettini on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet leaving about 1 1/2″ of space between each of them. Let the cookies sit for about 20 minutes to puff about a bit.
7. Bake them on the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire rack and store them in air-tight container though I dough they need much of storing as they seem to disappear like smoke almost immediately. This recipe makes about 24 and are best eaten the same day. Enjoy!!!