AAAhhhhh it is that time of year again when I really want to pull my hair out....It seems for every holiday there is a recipe that becomes the thorn in my side, but also the reason I am excited to get out of bed and get right to work every day, bittersweet actually. This season, as every other Christmas and Hanukah season is the Calginetti. This is a fried Italian Christmas Cookie. It is a sweet white wine dough filled with chestnut puree, espresso, chocolate, marmelades, and anisette, + some other secret ingredients as well.
I learned how to make these little buggers about 10 years ago when I first started working at Carlino's. I was taught by the late, Chef Mama Carlino, herself... She was my best friend and mentor. (we will save that for a posting dedicated totally to Mama) Anyway, She would usually start making these wannabe pierogis (haha that's what I call them) right before Thanksgiving. Our customers start asking for them. They get so persistant, mean even, because the want their fudgin' Calginetti! I used to think to myself, "Ugh, these things are nasty" and to me, they were, back then. I have come up with a few clever things since working at Carlino's. One of them is that I noticed these wannabe pierogis are an aquired taste. With all my Pastry Chefs and Cooks through the years, I have noticed a pattern. (non) Italian Chefs think, at first, yucky. ( I did) but then the next year comes around and you try the fried dough part of the cookie and it tastes a little "good", then the year after that comes, and you are brave enough to try the filling, a lick, at best, with the tip of your tongue, gross! Moving a little too fast, maybe... Ok, so now it's year 3 and you are prepared to take a bite. An actual bite, with fried dough and filling together. Hhhmmmm not so bad, eh? BUT, then comes year 4, ah, year 4. This is the turning point for those who have endured 4 whole years of madness at a store sooo busy at holidays that we actually have to hire the police to direct the traffic, NO LIE!!! Anyway, as I was saying, the turning point, yes, you've managed to take a bite this year and you are shocked that the Calginetti didn't taste half bad!!! So now all you can do is try to wait til year 5. We only make these delectable biscuits late November thru late December...So come year 5 you will be salivating before Thanksgiving with anxiety just like the customers do....every year.
This is true...I have seen this happen over and over and over with employees.... I too fell into the trance of the Calginetti.
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Jessie---I am soooo glad to find ur blog. I came upon your blog when I was searching google for a recipe for Calginetti's....I bought Calginetti's from Carlino's for the past two weeks. I am sending them to my husbands siblings...they grew up on Calginetti's that their Nanna would make at Christmas time. So, as a treat we send them a few pounds of yours. We have been LOVING the one's you have been making. I have bought them for a few years now.
I tried making them last year with a recipe I have from the Abruzzi region and they were not like your recipe. I talked to Bruno at the store. He says you make them every day....After the holiday rush...do you think I could talk with you about these CRAZZZZZY Calginetti's? I, too, felt like you did when I first tasted them,,,eeewww this what this family is crazy for at XMAS!!!! I,too have learned to LOVE them...but not from the one's I tried to make...BUT...from the one's you make!!!!
Keep up the GREAT job that you are doing!!
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