Grissini and Baci di Dama

(Italian breadsticks and “Lady-kisses” cookies)

Courtesy of Panetteria Cravero: Barolo, Piemonte, Italy:

Barolo’s Panetteria, known as Panetteria Cravero is run by Guillermo Cravero and two of his sisters.  A third sister, Nella, heads Barolo’s Cantinella restaurant (not to be confused with Cantinetta, another local hot-spot).  Panetteria Cravero is famous for their grissini and baci di dama cookies, purveying such delights to restaurants all over Italy, the remainder of Europe, the United States, and beyond.

For Grissini:

2 lbs. all-purpose flour,
1 _ ounces compressed yeast
2 cups of warm water
3 pinches of salt
Enough olive oil to grease a baking sheet

Dissolve a half-ounce of yeast in a cup of the water and mix this with about three ounces of flour.  Gently knead this together and allow the dough to rest in a fairly warm spot for about ninety minutes or until the size of the dough-ball doubles.  Into this doubled dough-ball, heap about one-pound, three-ounces of flour, the rest of the yeast, the few pinches of salt, and just enough warm water to render the dough soft, silken, and elastic.  Knead the dough until it peels freely from your hands.  Form into a ball, drape with a towel, and let rest for about five hours or until doubled.  Then, combine the dough-ball with the remaining water and flour and knead until sleek and pliable.  Cut or pinch into small pieces and roll these pieces into long snakes along a counter or some sort of wooden board.  Depending on the size of your oven, or your deftness with dough, these snakes can be arm-length or a bit shorter.  Oil a baking sheet.  Place “grissini snakes” on the oiled baking sheet and, again, let the dough-snakes rest until doubled.  Bake for ten minutes (or until browned) at a whopping 550-degrees Fahrenheit.

For Baci di Dama:

Baci di dama (or lady-kisses) can be made with an array of nuts.  In the Piedmont, hazelnuts are preferred due to their local status.  Almonds can easily be substituted.  Or macadamias.  Or pinenuts.  Pick your favorite and experiment.

1 cup hazelnuts (or as we’ve discussed…),
1 cup plus 1 ounce of butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Combine the hazelnuts with butter, flour, and sugar until smooth and luscious.  Form the mixture into small, ping-pong sized balls and bake on an oiled/buttered baking sheet for about fifteen minutes at 350-degrees Fahrenheit.  Meanwhile, melt the chocolate down in a double-boiler.  Once removed from the oven, plunge a cookie-bottom into the chocolate and press it to the bottom of another cookie.  Hold the two cookie-lovers in this position until they stick.  Repeat with the remainder and, though the cookies will remain hot for each other, allow to cool.