Tarelli - a classic Italian snack

It is nearly Christmas time again, a time for celebrating, relaxing and being with family and friends.                                                                                                                                  We will be travelling interstate to see family and this time will take the time to drive, stopping along the way at different destinations.    We must work out our itinerary soon and decide along which route we will journey.  We always come back the quickest way possible, keen to get back and see how our garden has fared over Summer and to hug our darling pets who we will miss each day.                                                                                                                                                    You can always enjoy different shopping in another town.  On our last visit we stocked up on gorgeous cheese mounds the morning that we left, placing them in an esky with ice bricks and buying fresh ice for them the next morning of our journey.  

Another time I had found a gorgeous craft shop in town and stocked up on kits to make my own rag doll and beads to make very classy beaded baubles with for the Christmas tree.

I distinctly remember one year when my mother-in-law brought up a kilo block of Pecorino on the plane, with no refrigeration.  It tasted delicious but the strong smell it had gained during the journey totally deterred me from eating Pecorino for many years afterwards.

A few years ago on a visit to see my in-laws in South Australia I discovered Tarelli, which are a type of rusk, a crispy, tasty bread snack with fennel seeds.  Delicious and crispy they last for weeks (apparently, but they don't last that long in our house).  These are the perfect appetiser to crunch on with a strong appertif; a campari with soda or a sambucca.  They are equally delightful to snack with a cappuccino for a quick breakfast on at any time during the day.

I especially love to keep the traditions alive, from bottling tomatoes over summer, to frying Crostoli for Easter and making tiramisu for family gatherings.  Now, Tarelli is another family favourite.

Tarelli                                                                

This is when the Tarelli have been dipped into boiling water.

See the fennel seeds peeking through the dough.

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx