The Desideri family has been making Brigidini di Lamporecchio for over a century.

Description

Tuscany holds a surprise everywhere. Every village has its own unique characteristics, whether scenic, historical, artistic, or culinary. Lamporecchio, a town in the province of Pistoia, has the honor of being the birthplace of this small, round, thin-thin, fragrant, and anise-scented dessert: Brigidino di Lamporecchio, "a dessert, or rather, a special Tuscan treat, to be found at all the country fairs and festivals..." as Pellegrino Artusi described it in "Science in the Kitchen."

The recipe for Brigidino di Lamporecchio is simple, made with just four ingredients: eggs (Desideri's are fresh and locally sourced), flour (Farina, with a capital F; Desideri uses type 1 flour), sugar (Italian), and anise.

This last ingredient tells a beautiful story about the birth of this product, the result of a mistake from which we still benefit today.

In the convent of Santa Brigida in Lamporecchio, the nuns were responsible for preparing the hosts used in the celebration of Mass for the surrounding parishes. As fate would have it, one day the nuns made a mistake in the dough, and to avoid throwing away their work, they added eggs, sugar, and anise, giving rise to a tradition that has continued to this day.

The Brigidino of Lamporecchio has a characteristic round shape, irregular edges, a golden yellow color, and a stylized flower stamped in the center, the same one found on the ancient molds in which it was originally made.

The Brigidino is difficult to explain... it must be tasted, or rather nibbled, and like cherries, one leads to another. It loves the company of a good Vinsanto and can thus become an original dessert at the end of a meal. It loses all its innocence when dipped in chocolate, a true indulgence to be shared. It pairs wonderfully with ice cream. But it could also be a modern snack in the name of authenticity.