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Mugello zuccherini or "al paiolo" biscuits

Mugello zuccherini

The characteristics

Zuccherini are dry, round biscuits with a whole in the centre. They are white because after baking they are dunked in melted sugar. They taste of anise.

The history

Zuccherini were very common biscuits in Firenzuola: in fact, they ended every special meal, holiday and event that was out of the ordinary, especially weddings. These biscuits are hand made and this makes them particularly tasty. Mass production, in fact, is not able to give these biscuits their original flavour. Their recipe has been handed down through the ages by word of mouth.

How and where they are made

In the traditional recipe the dough is prepared by mixing white flour, butter, lemon rind, milk and yeast. Small donuts are made and put in the oven for 30 minutes. The sugar and anise liquor are mixed together with a bit of water in a copper pot (the “paiolo”). Once baked, the biscuits are dunked in the melted sugar and left to cool.

They can be found in bakeries in Firenzuola and in Cavallina, in Barberino.

They are sometimes soaked in Alkermes, which gives the biscuits a rich red hue.

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