An authentic South Italian treat, Intorchiate is perfect for your coffee breaks or anytime-of-the-day snack. Crunchy cookie twists with a dusting of sugar; topped with whole almonds — simply delicious!
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These Italian cookie twists are similar to taralli but sweeter.
A traditional cookie from Puglia, intorchiate can be translated as ‘intertwined‘ in their local dialect — because each cookie looks like arms in a tight embrace.
Prepared initially (only) for special celebrations like baptisms or weddings, you can easily find intorchiate in any Pugliese bakery nowadays — and we sure did in one of our visits. 🙂
IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN COOKIES, YOU WOULD LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Flour – you only need all-purpose flour for this intorchiate recipe.
- Butter – softened, unsalted butter, if possible
- White wine – any dry white wine will be great.
- Olive oil – mild (or fruity) flavored ones are excellent for making intorchiate since they will not overpower the cookies’ flavor.
- Sugar – regular white sugar.
- Almonds – blanched whole almonds.
- Baking powder – just use your favorite brand.
- Salt – a pinch of salt that you might have to skip if you are using salted butter.
Preparation
Start by combining flour, one-third cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor, then mix.
Add butter, olive oil, and white wine (photo 1).
Pulse to combine until you see a dough starts to form.
Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead slightly, forming it into a ball.
Wrap dough with plastic (photo 2).
Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill.
Remove the plastic from the dough and cut it into sixteen equal portions (photo 3).
Form each portion into a log that is about 11-inches long.
Start forming your intorchiate by:
- Twisting from the middle of the log and crossing it to the other side to form the first hole (photo 4.1)
- Cross the other side of the log on top of the other to form the second hole (photo 4.2).
- Make both ends of the log meet at the bottom and pinch them together to form the last hole (photo 4.3).
Dip the cookie into the remaining sugar and try to coat it evenly on one side (photo 5).
Place the cookie on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet.
Place an almond on each cookie hole, with all of them pointing on one end of the cookie (photo 6).
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and finish forming all the intorchiate.
Keep a distance of about an inch between each cookie in the tray (photo 7).
Place the baking tray in the oven for about twenty-five to twenty-eight minutes.
Remove your almond cookie twists from the oven and allow them cool.
Serve.
Helpful tips
- Place the dough back in the refrigerator when you have yet to work on them. It’s easier to form a log (and twists) when the dough is not too soft.
- If you have a weighing scale, use it to weigh the dough for each cookie to handle each portion.
- Do not hesitate to pull the dough (log) a bit when forming the cookie — again, easier to do if the dough is not too soft.
- Before placing them in the oven, push all the almonds back in each cookie. It ensures that they will not be pushed out once the dough expands.
Recipe variation
- You can keep the almonds’ skin if that’s what you prefer (i.e., skipping the blanching) — I have seen some do this as well.
FAQs
Absolutely.
You can prepare the dough in advance and keep it tightly- wrapped with plastic in the refrigerator — it’s good for up to 3 days.
Store them in an airtight container, and they’re great for up to 2 weeks.
So how about it? Give intorchiate a try, and let me know what you think in the comment section below! 🙂
📖 Recipe
Intorchiate Recipe (Italian Almond Cookie Twists)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp flour, (250 grams)
- 1/3 cup sugar, (plus 3 tbsp for coating)
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp butter, (28 grams), softened
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup + 2 tsp white wine
- 50 pcs almonds, whole, blanched
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Preparing intorchiate dough:
- Start by combining flour, one-third cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor; then mix.
- Add butter, olive oil, and white wine.
- Pulse to combine until you see a dough starts to form.
- Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead slightly, forming it into a ball.
- Wrap the ball of dough with plastic.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill.
Forming the cookie twists:
- Remove the plastic from the dough and cut it into 16 equal portions.
- Form each part into a log that is about 11-inches long.
- Form each log into a cookie by (see images above for reference):a) Twisting from the middle of the log and crossing it to the other side to form the first hole. b) Cross the other side of the log on top of the other to form the second hole. c) Make both ends of the log meet at the bottom and pinch them together to form the last hole.
Baking your intorchiate Pugliese:
- Coat one side of the cookie with the remaining sugar.
- Place the cookie on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet.
- Place an almond on each hole, with all of them pointing on one end of the cookie.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and finish forming all the cookies.
- Keep a distance of about 1-inch between each cookie in the tray.
- Place the baking tray in the oven for about 25-28 minutes.
- Remove your Italian almond cookie twists from the oven and allow them cool.
- Serve.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Place the dough back in the refrigerator when you have yet to work on them. It’s easier to form the dough when it is not too soft.
- Cook’s Tip #2: If you have a weighing scale, use it to weigh the dough for each cookie for easier handling of each portion.
- Cook’s Tip #3: Do not hesitate to pull the dough (log) a bit when forming the cookie — again, easier to do if the dough is not too soft.
- Cook’s Tip #4: Before placing your intorchiate in the oven, push all the almonds back in each cookie. It ensures that they will not be pushed out once the cookies expand.
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