Calgionetti di Ceci Abruzzesi, also known as Caggionetti, Caggntt’, Caciunitt, or Cavcinitt, are traditional Christmas treats from the Abruzzo region of Italy. These small, deep-fried pastries, shaped like ravioli, have a filling that varies across different areas of Abruzzo.
The most common fillings are a mixture of chickpeas sweetened with concentrated grape must or a basic grape jam.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g of flour
- A heaped tablespoon of sugar
- Half a glass of extra virgin olive oil
- One glass of white wine
For the filling:
- The grated peel of an organic lemon
- 250 g of boiled and drained chickpeas
- A level tablespoon of cinnamon powder
- Half a glass of cooked must, alternatively, three heaped tablespoons of honey
- 100 g of toasted and chopped almonds
- 50 g of chopped dark chocolate
- The chopped peel of two mandarins
- A small glass of liqueur
The night before, prepare the filling by pureeing the cooked chickpeas. At the same time, heat the cooked must and add the almonds, cinnamon, and chickpea puree.
After stirring, remove from heat and add the chocolate, tangerine zest, and liqueur.
Mix thoroughly and let the mixture rest overnight in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator.
Combine the flour and sugar, then gradually add the oil and wine to form a non-sticky, elastic dough. Divide the dough into small portions and roll out each piece into a very thin layer. Place a line of spaced-out dollops of filling in the middle of each layer, fold the dough over, and press the edges together firmly with your hands.
Use a pastry wheel to cut out crescent shapes. Ensure the edges are well sealed and deep-fry in hot vegetable oil. Once drained, allow to cool and serve sprinkled with icing sugar.