Christmas Taralli with grape jelly filling.  This recipe is traditionally served for Christmas in Italy.

Ingredients

1 egg yolk

powdered sugar for garnish

2.5 lbs of all purpose flour plus 1 cup to roll dough

1 cup of canola oil

2 cups of dry white wine

3 tpsp granulated sugar

Filling:

30 oz. of grape jelly

10 oz. of other fruit jelly (apple,peach, apricot)

4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 tsp of ground coffee

2 tsp of vanilla

3/4 lb of toasted walnuts chopped finely

1 tsp. cinammon

3 oz. of dry toast (ground)

2 cups roasted walnuts

Preparation:

In an electric mixing bowl add the wine, sugar and the oil.   Gradually add the flour.   Mix completely, kneading dough for approximately 5 minutes. 

Cover dough and let it rest for approximately 15 minutes.   After 15 minutes, knead the dough with your hands.   If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour until dough is well blended.  Cover and let the dough rest again.   In the meantime, start to mix the filling.   Melt the jelly in a saucepan.  Add the chocolate and turn the off the heat.  Continue to stir until chocolate is melted.    Place filling in a bowl and allow to cool.   Add the walnuts, coffee, vanilla, cinammon and dry toast.  Mix altoghether.   The mix should have the consistency of pancake batter.  If it is too thin, add more walnuts or toast.    Divide the dough into 6 pieces.   Roll each piece thin, approximately 6 x 12 inches.  Each piece will yield 4 cookies.   Put 1 heaping tbsp. of jelly mixture and  repeat process 4 times.   Lengthwise, fold dough in half.  Make half moon shape with your hands and cut dough with pastry cutter around the outside.   Take the ears of the dough and pull to the front in the shape of a wonton.   Brush top of dough with egg yolk.  Bake at 350F degrees for approximately 15-20 mintues.

Serve on platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy… Buon Appetito