Petrafennula

A compact Calabrian dessert made with honey and citrus peel, scented with cinnamon and with a very firm consistency.

8 servings

Easy

Calabria

EasyCalabria

Petrafennula is a dense and intensely aromatic dessert, made with honey and citrus peel. It has a very firm texture that slowly softens in the mouth. Wildflower honey coats the orange, citron, or lemon peel, while cinnamon completes the flavor with a warm, spicy note. This recipe is traditional in Calabria. The technique requires careful concentration. of the mixtureThe honey must cook slowly until it becomes thick enough to hold the zest and hold its shape once cooled. The mixture can be shaped into oiled cylinders or rolled out and cut into strips, depending on the molds available. The result is a simple dessert, without kneading or baking, where the balance comes from the contrast between the sweetness of the honey, the aroma of the citrus fruits, and the spicy note of the cinnamon.

Instructions

Voice reading

9 steps · natural Italian voice

Cut the rinds

Cut the orange peels and the citron and/or lemon peels into thin strips Regularly. Cut the peels into thin, even strips, so they cook in the honey evenly and the result retains a firm consistency.

Combine honey and zest

Pour the wildflower honey into a saucepan and add the chopped peels. Stir to distribute them in the honey before transferring the saucepan on the heat, preventing them from remaining collected in a single spot.

Cook slowly

Cook the mixture over low heatStirring regularly, until the honey is concentrated and thick enough to coat the peels. Make sure the mixture isn't runny: it should be thick and heavy, without burning or darkening excessively.

It smells like cinnamon

Take off the saucepan Remove from the heat and add a pinch of ground cinnamon. Mix carefully until the spice is evenly distributed and the cinnamon aroma blends with that of the honey and citrus.

Fill the cylinders

Grease cylindrical containers about 10 centimeters (3.94 in) long with olive oil. Pour the mixture still hot in the cylinders, pressing it carefully to eliminate any voids and obtain compact and regular cakes.

Let it cool

Let the cylinders cool completely without moving them, until the mixture It firms up and holds its shape. Once the petrafennula has cooled, open the containers and carefully remove the now firm cakes.

Store the sweets

Wrap each petrafennula in a sheet of wax paper. Seal the wrapper tightly to protect it from the air and preserve its firm, compact texture.

Shape without cylinders

Alternatively, grease a marble surface with oil and lay out the mixture Spread the warm mixture into a layer about 1.18 inches (3 centimeters) thick. Work it quickly and evenly, so that the thickness remains uniform as it cools.

Cut the strips

When the mixture Once it's just warm, cut it into strips about 10 centimeters (3.94 in) long, using a clean cut as if you were making a brittle. Don't wait until it's completely cool; at that point, it will become too hard to portion.

Chef's Tips

Cook the honey and peels over very low heat, stirring often, until the mixture It falls heavily from the spoon and holds its shape: insufficient cooking makes the petrafennula too soft.