A few words to introduce you to za'leti, traditional Venetian cornmeal biscuits.
I'm using the spelling found in the recipe I followed, although I've come across several different versions of the name. Please forgive me if this isn't the correct one, or even the most commonly used spelling!
The recipe comes from a book on Venetian cuisine, which was given to me some time ago by a lovely young woman from Venice called Sara. Not only did she send it to me, but she also filled its pages with little Post-it notes packed with suggestions and ideas.
Sara is an all-round artist, a lover of art, a fine arts graduate and someone deeply in love with Venice. Visiting the city with her is something I hope to do one day, when I finally manage to free myself from all my commitments. Probably when I'm 120, but let's pretend it will happen sooner!
I've wanted to pay tribute to Sara and her book for a long time, and since za'leti are her favourite biscuits, choosing this recipe was a real pleasure.
Sweet recipes have been taking centre stage on the blog lately — I've even managed to put on a kilo! Luckily, I've recently started taking part in the Bloggalline recipe exchange again. I was paired with a blog full of wonderful recipes, and I've already found a savoury dish that sounds absolutely delicious.
Keep an eye on the blog homepage and social media: I hope to make it soon.
A little clue?
It could be served as a starter, but also as an accompaniment to meat and vegetable dishes.
Am I being too vague? Here's another hint: it's made with dried broad beans! 🙂
Za'leti: Venetian Cornmeal Biscuits
Recipe details
Yield: 8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: None
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Total time: Approximately 40 minutes
Ingredients
250 g fine cornmeal (fioretto)
250 g plain flour
200 g softened butter
150 g sugar
100 g raisins
4 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Seeds from ½ vanilla pod
A pinch of salt
Milk, as needed
Method
Soak the raisins in a cup of lukewarm water for a few minutes, then drain them.
Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, plain flour, salt, vanilla seeds and grated lemon zest.
Add the egg and sugar mixture to the dry ingredients, then work in the softened butter, mixing until combined.
Stir in the drained raisins and knead until you have a workable dough. If it feels too firm or dry, add a little milk.
Shape the dough into small pieces about 6 cm long and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden.
If you like, dust the biscuits with icing sugar as soon as they come out of the oven.
Leave to cool before serving.
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