Post mortem on Haloween - another interesting tradition

Halloween in Italy?  No.  El dia de los muertos?  Closer.  Here is another country and culture who pass on our pagan celebration of Halloween but celebrate their dead over a two day period - festivities bridging November 1st (All Soul's Day) and November 2nd (Day of the Dead), though to Italians, it is known simply as i Morti: observing, honouring and remembering their passed loved ones.

I read a blog excerpt form Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino that captures the spirit of the day AND provides a recipe for a traditional Italian cookie associated with the festivities!  Education, stories and eats - what more can one ask for while surfing the net:

"This is not a morbid or mournful holiday, rather a celebration of life. Ossa dei Morti, or 'Bones of the Dead,' are among the numerous traditional (and almost always almond-laced) Italian cookies commonly enjoyed on this occasion. There are many different regional recipes for Ossa dei Morti, these particular hard and crunchy meringue ones are from Piemonte."

Here, courtesy of Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino is a great recipe to add to your collection!

Ossa dei Morti

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts, shelled and left whole
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely ground (I put them in a freezer bag and pound the heck out of them)
2 cups brown sugar
2 egg whites, beaten
Juice from 1/2 lemon
A pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of cinnamon
Butter and flour to grease and dredge the cookie sheet

Directions


In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice. Work in the nuts and spices, and continue kneading until you have a fairly firm dough. Roll the ball of dough out with your hands forming it into a rope. Cut the rope into 2-inch sections.

Preheat oven to 180° C (360° F).

Butter your cookie sheet, dust with flour, and lay the 'bones' on it distanced form one another, and bake for about 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool to jaw-breaking hardness before serving with a glass of Moscato or Vin Santo. Amen.