Canasciunetti di Supino, easy and delicious Christmas desserts

The Canasciunetti di Supino (Where I was born) are one of the most delicious Ciociare delicacies for the holidays. It's not Christmas in many Ciociari homes, if there are no "canasciunetti" and preparing them is not difficult at all. These are typical local sweets, very popular and delicious to munch in front of the fireplace. Some people love canasciunetti all year round, for Easter, but tradition wants them for Christmas. Those who have never tried them can easily spot them because they have the shape of a ravioli. The Canasciunetti, certainly Ciociari, have their queen seat in "Supino".

They are already very much in Supinesi and also have a very ancient history. Many families have been handing down the recipe orally for many generations. One thing, however, is certain, these sweets are accompanied by late autumn, having as their base the typical fruits of this season, which the surrounding hills offer abundantly. We are mainly talking about walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, chickpeas and various types of local honey. A pinch of pepper and a little nutmeg; They enhance the whole and make these typical sweets special. If you want to try your hand at it, follow the easy recipe and the procedure. Get about 2 kg of dried chestnuts, at least 800 kg of chickpeas and 350 g of good quality hazelnuts. You will need about 800 gr. walnuts, raisins, half a kg of sugar and sambuca. Keep about half a kg on hand. honey, a little pepper and nutmeg. You'll also need some chili powder. Also remember that chestnuts, as well as chickpeas, must be cooked in lightly salted water before starting the preparation. For honey, I recommend using a good quality wildflower. First of all, you will need to make the dough and you will need at least 2 kg of flour, 12 eggs, a handful of salt, a pinch of sugar and keep a little water on hand. Now start making the dough and if you don't know how to roll it out like sfogline, don't worry, use the machine and you'll do it even sooner. Once the dough has been made, which is not too thin, otherwise it will break, you can get to the "heart" of the preparation. According to the original traditional recipe, chestnuts and chickpeas cooked in lightly salted water and drained, must be pureed. Then add the chopped hazelnuts and walnuts in a bowl and mix everything with the honey. Be careful that the filling remains firm enough. Some use a mixer or blender, but I recommend chopping only walnuts and hazelnuts and then mixing with a scoop. Only at the end can you add nutmeg, pepper and a little chilli. The aroma of these autumn ingredients will already begin to spread around the house. If you are not an expert, there are convenient and perfect molds on the market, in which you can "close" the dough with filling and that's it. These are the same molds that are used for ravioli. You can also use a pastry cutter and close it, obtaining the classic half moons. The mold also leaves decorative closing marks, but if you don't have it, you can crush the edges with a fork. I recommend not to use molds that are too small. Once the canasciunetti are ready, they must go in the oven on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at least at 180°C for about twenty minutes. I recommend keeping an eye on the cooking, because each oven is different from the other, even in terms of age. In any case, the canasciunetti must be golden. The filling should remain soft, crumbly and not dry.