Baci di Dama traditional Italian recipe

Tortona is situated in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont region, and it is well known in the world of food and wine. Surely wine lovers turn their first thoughts to Derthona, the magnificent white wine made with Timorasso grapes. A wine with an excellent structure and great ageing potential.

But another masterpiece that has become famous in Italy and the world is a dessert, born right here, in Tortona. They are the Baci di Dama. They have been revisited in many ways, but I would propose the original version, that is, with the famous Piedmont hazelnuts – Nocciola Piemontese IGP – and not with the almonds as it is often presented.

Baci di Dama Recipe

Preparation time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

200 g of wheat flour
200 g of sugar
130 g of butter
100 g of Piedmont hazelnuts
50 g of dark chocolate
2 cl of brandy
A pinch of salt
Butter for greasing

PREPARATION:

First, put the hazelnuts for a few minutes in the hot oven and then peel and chop them very finely. Then pour the flour onto the pastry board, mix the chopped hazelnuts, the sugar, the salt, the softened butter at room temperature, and the brandy.

Knead carefully to obtain a smooth and homogeneous paste, then moisten your hands and shape many small balls like hazelnuts. Then butter the oven plate, place the balls on the pasta by flattening or slightly flattening the base, then cook in the preheated oven at 200 °C for 15 minutes.

Then let it cool out of the oven. In the meantime, cut the chocolate into small pieces, put it in a saucepan and let it melt in a water bath, mixing with a wooden spoon. Finally, dip the flattened part of the sweets and combine them in pairs.

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