We’re walking the sidewalks of Biscotti, along Cannoli-lined streets through neighborhoods lined with rows and rows of tiramisu; now we notice the beautiful groups of Farfatelle that dot the lawns of the neighborhoods. Although it’s a simple dessert, these delicious loveknot cookies or bow tie cookies are very pretty arrangements. The sugar sprinkled on them appears as a light coating of freshly fallen snow or even as the shine seen after the heavy dew of the morning sun. What a beautiful sight to hold!

The next stop on our tour of Italian desserts… Farfatelle… required a fair amount of research. If you search for the term “Farfatelle” you will likely get results for pasta, as this seems to be the Italian name for the popular bow tie pasta we use in so many recipes today. Well, far be it from me to stop there, tenacious person that I am! As I continued to dig, the illusory “Farfatelle” continued to confuse me. Finally! Something came up that led me to a bit of history on this Italian dessert. It seems that the original name of this cookie was wandi, which I soon realized is an Americanized term for guaranteed, since there is no “w” in the Italian language. The word, guaranteedtranslates to “gloves” and is so called because the cookie resembles two intertwined hands… hence the OTHER name for this cookie… Italian Love Knot Cookies.

My search for the history of Farfatelle revealed an old Catholic tradition called the Table of Saint Joseph. Now, Saint Joseph’s Day is observed in Italy on March 19, but here in the United States, the celebration of Saint Joseph is significantly overshadowed by the festivities of Saint Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of green beer. In Italy, however, the Sicilian people celebrate and recreate the Holy Family. The celebration around the Table or Buffet of Saint Joseph originated in Sicily with a banquet provided for “those whom Saint Joseph had invited”… the poor, the blind, the lame, the homeless, etc. The rich are said to prepare the feast of traditional foods and serve it to the guests. The dinner begins with a play in which the villagers represent Joseph, Mary and Jesus during the meal. In Italy, this is a much-celebrated holiday, but here in the United States, you rarely hear about it.

Here is the recipe I found. However, I doubt you’ll find it in a cookbook anywhere. It seems that it was more or less passed down by memory through the generations.

bow cookies

1 ½ cups flour – sifted

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 spoon of sugar

3 tablespoons Crisco

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup powdered sugar

oil for frying

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or butter knife, add the Crisco to the flour mixture in a chopping motion. Do this until the mixture is well blended. Add the eggs and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured board or surface and knead until the dough is pliable. The dough should then be left to rest for one or more hours.

After letting the dough rest, break it up and roll out the dough pieces into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle. Now cut the dough into strips 8 inches long and about ¾ inch wide. Tie the strips in loose knots.

Heat the oil on the stove or in a deep fryer. Fry each knot until golden brown. Remove the knot from the frying oil with a slotted spoon or spatula. Let them drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

A variation of this recipe could be to use a combination of cinnamon and granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of them. Colored candy sprinkles can also be used to increase the visual appeal of the cookie.

Enjoy making this cookie with your children. There can be a lot of bonding time getting the knots ready for the fryer and the kids LOVE the sprinkling of sugar…and the mess…well what can I say! A little sugar to cleanse is a great compensation for the quality time you spend with your children, especially during the holiday season.