San Gennaro Biscuits: A Traditional Neapolitan Recipe
San Gennaro biscuits are typical sweets from the Campania region, traditionally made in Naples on September 19th, the feast of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint.
ingredients
San Gennaro biscuits are typical sweets from the Campania region, traditionally made in Naples on September 19th, the feast of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint.
Simple yet irresistible, they're made with a thick, creamy batter made with eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and grated lemon zest. Once shaped, baked, and left to cool, these delicious pastries are golden and fragrant on the outside and soft on the inside.
If you prefer, as tradition dictates, you can enjoy them plain, simply dusted with a little powdered sugar, or you can fill them two at a time with a strawberry, berry, or cherry jam, which recalls the red of Vesuvius' lava: they will be delicious to eat at any time of day.
This is an ancient popular recipe, once made by the nuns of the San Gennaro dei Poveri Hospital, in the Sanità district, later rediscovered by the master of the art of baking Leopoldo Infante.
Learn how to make San Gennaro biscuits with step-by-step instructions and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the babà, Neapolitan sfogliatelle ricce, and shortbread.
How to make San Gennaro biscuits
To prepare the San Gennaro biscuits, first collect the eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl 1.
Beat the ingredients with an electric whisk until you obtain a soft and frothy mixture 3.
Incorporate the powders with a spatula 5.
Incorporate the powders with a spatula 5.
Transfer the thick and creamy mixture obtained into a piping bag 6.
Form small discs on a baking tray lined with baking paper, a few cm apart from each other 7, then place everything in a hot oven at 200°C for about 6 minutes.
Once the cooking time is up, take the biscuits out of the oven and leave them to cool on a wire rack 8.
Once they are completely cold, fill the pastries with the cherry jam 9.
Then sprinkle them with a light layer of icing sugar 11.
Arrange the San Gennario biscuits on a serving plate 12, bring to the table and serve.
Tips and storage
San Gennaro biscuits can be enjoyed plain or with your favorite filling. If you like, you can fill them with orange or lemon marmalade, or you can spread them with a delicious hazelnut spread or dark chocolate ganache: they'll be delicious either way.
If you like, you can top the desserts with chopped dried fruit or a blueberry coulis, or you can sprinkle them with bitter cocoa powder.
San Gennaro biscuits can be stored at room temperature, tightly closed in a tin, for up to 2-3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
