Quaresimali – Florentine Lenten Biscuits – are traditional biscuits shaped in the form of letters of the alphabet and were originally produced and consumed during the period of Christian Lenten season before Easter. Quaresimali are made of simple ingredients that were originally suitable for the period of austerity and fasting and today for any occasion: egg whites, icing sugar, hazelnut paste and powdered cocoa.
The authentic Tuscan recipe together with its long craftsmanship has been handed down to this day by pastry chefs of Scapigliati family from generation to generation. The recipe involves very thorny processing steps: whipping the dough, mixing the ingredients manually so as not to lose its volume, and drying the biscuits before cooking.
This long and complex process – even depending on weather conditions – discouraged almost all Florentine pastry shops from continuing to produce Quaresimali.
