Crumbly and tasty, i Lady’s Kisses everyone likes them. Their name evokes the image of a kiss between two cookie halves that come together thanks to the central chocolate that strengthens the bond. Their story begins in Piedmont in the 19th century and soon made its way throughout Italy, even thanks to the Savoy family. They are the perfect sweet to present at a dinner with friends or simply to enjoy at any time of the day. They are among the simplest and fastest sweets to prepare within the category Small bakery. The recipe is based on roasted and chopped almonds (also absolutely worth trying praline). Let’s see how Baci di dama are prepared in a few quick and easy steps.

Preparation

1

Start with the preparation of the pastry: in a large bowl add the flour, sugar and hazelnuts (previously toasted in a pan and finely chopped with a mixer); mix the flours to blend them.

2

Add the peanut oil to the flours and mix with a spoon until a compact dough is created. If necessary, if it is too dry, add more oil.

3

Move on to the creation of the balls, which must be perfectly round: we have prepared them of medium size of 3.5 cm in diameter, obtaining 22 balls to create 11 Baci di dama (if desired, smaller balls can be made). Place them spaced apart on a dripping pan lined with parchment paper or on a silicone mat suitable for cooking in the oven.

4

Preheat the oven in static mode to 170 ° C and then bake the shortcrust pastry for 12 minutes. They will turn out golden and soft biscuits, with the side facing down flattened.

5

Place the biscuits on a wire rack carefully, being careful not to break them given the softness they have as soon as they are taken out of the oven.

6

While the shortbreads of Baci di dama are cooling down, prepare the chocolate for the filling: melt the chocolate into pieces in a bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes at 500 watts (being careful not to risk burning it), or in a bain-marie in a saucepan. Using a teaspoon or a pastry bag, pour melted chocolate on the flattened side of the cooked shortcrust balls and close it with another half-sphere of shortcrust pastry, to form cakes stuffed centrally with chocolate.

7

Proceed in this way with all the pieces of shortcrust pastry of the Baci di dama, being careful not to overdo the amount of chocolate added to ensure that it does not come out of the edges. Allow to cool completely and, finally, serve the Baci di dama.

Accessories

• A large bowl
• Greaseproof paper
• A pastry bag or a teaspoon
• A spoon or ladle
• A wire rack

Tips and tricks

• For homogeneous cooking of Baci di dama, the balls to be baked must all be of the same size.
• This version of Baci di dama does not require the dough to rest before cooking. In any case, to prevent the shortcrust pastry balls from melting and flattening too much during cooking, put them in the freezer for about ten minutes before putting them in the oven, so that they are compacted at best.
• Never open the oven while cooking Baci di dama; you risk making them deflate.
• Once the chocolate is melted, wait a few minutes for it to thicken slightly. In this way it will not tend to run out of the edges and will remain in the center of the candy without dirtying.
• Traditional Baci di dama include toasted almond flour, but you could also replace it or accompany it with toasted hazelnut flour.
• Like any self-respecting typical dessert, even the Baci di dama have numerous variations scattered throughout Italy. The most famous is that of Alassio which involves adding cocoa and honey to the dough. In Turin, on the other hand, the ‘Umbertini’ are prepared, the filling of which is made up of apple and raspberry jam. They are all worth trying.
• Also try the simple version of Baci di dama with chocolate by adding bitter cocoa powder to taste.

storage

Keep the Baci di Dama closed in an airtight container or tin box for a maximum of 1 week. If, on the other hand, you have some leftover dough or you want to prepare it well in advance, you can proceed as follows: form the pastry balls, put them in the freezer by placing them on a shelf and, once frozen, place them in a bag. To cook them, just place them directly on the oven tray as soon as they have been removed from the freezer.

History

Probably each of us has eaten them at least once in our life. Baci di dama are among the most famous and traditional biscuits of the boot and the popular legends associated with them have contributed to making them so. Specifically, their story begins in Piedmont: it is said, between myths and reality, that they would have been conceived by the genius of a Savoy chef, around 1850. It would have been Vittorio Emanuele II himself who asked to taste an original dessert and, subsequently, to approve it to be served among the European royals of that historical era.

Tortona, in the province of Alessandria, is the city that has the paternity. Initially, given the high cost of almonds, Baci di dama were made with Piedmontese hazelnuts, more easily available. But where does the name Baci di dama come from? Simply by what they symbolically represent, two halves that come together as if to give each other a sweet kiss.