Italian Wine Cookies (Ciambelline al Vino) are rustic, crunchy treats from the Roman cucina povera. Made with just a few simple ingredients: flour, sugar, wine, oil, and a pinch of yeast. They contain no butter or eggs.
Shaped into small doughnut rings, sprinkled with sugar, and baked until golden, these cookies have a fragrant, crumbly texture and a caramelized crust.
Traditionally flavored with aniseed, they originate from the Castelli Romani area near Frascati, where wine has always been part of daily life.
In Lazio, they're affectionately called ’mbriachelle, meaning “little drunk ones,” because of the wine in the dough. You can use red or white wine, white gives a lighter, golden color. Don’t worry: the alcohol bakes off, making them safe for kids.
Perfect with coffee or as a snack, Italian wine cookies are best enjoyed Roman-style: dipped in a glass of wine, fingers and all!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 20 Min | Rest Time: 20 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: about 30 cookies
- 300 g (2 ⅓ cups) of "00" flour
- 100 ml (~½ cup) of extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g (½ cup) of granulated sugar + about 4 tablespoons for the topping
- 8 g (~½ tablespoon) of baking powder
- 100 ml (~½ cup) of red or white dry wine
- ½ teaspoon of anise seeds (optional)
Instructions
Make the Dough
Step 1) - To prepare the dough for the Italian wine cookies, first pour the flour into a bowl. Then make a hollow in the center and pour in the wine and the EVO oil.
Step 2) - Now add the sugar and, if you like the taste, you can add half a teaspoon of aniseed at this point.
Stir with a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients.
Step 3) - Then add the baking powder and mix until the mixture has the consistency of a dough. Then switch to kneading with your hands.
Step 4) - Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand until you have a firm, homogeneous ball of dough.
Place in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel. Let rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
The Shape
Step 5) - At the end of the resting time, take the dough and start forming small doughnut-shaped cookies.
Take about 30 grams (1 ounce) of dough and roll it into rolls about 15 cm (6 inches) long. Fold the rolls back on themselves and close to form a ring.
Bake
Step 6) - Now dip the cookies in a generous amount of granulated sugar.
Step 7) - Place the ciambelle on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Be sure to space the cookies well apart.
PLEASE NOTE: During baking, the cookies will puff up a bit and may stick together if they are too close together.
Bake the wine cookies in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.
Step 8) - Remove your Italian wine cookies from the oven, let them cool and serve.
They are crispy, caramelized and crumbly ciambelline al vino with a unique aroma! Dip them in wine and enjoy!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Traditional Italian Canestrelli Recipe
- Brutti ma Buoni: Ugly but Delicious Italian cookies
- Authentic Amaretti Cookies Recipe
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Torcetti al Burro (Traditional Italian Butter Cookies)
Storage
Italian wine cookies will keep their fragrance for about 10 days at room temperature if stored tightly sealed in a tin or cookie jar.
We do not recommend freezing.
You can also package them nicely, sealed tightly in clear food-grade paper with a ribbon. They make the perfect gift for your friends!
How to Serve
These crumbly little Italian wine cookies are delicious at room temperature and, as we have seen, will keep for several days if stored well.
But fresh out of the oven, when they are still slightly warm, they are at their best!
You can eat them with coffee after lunch or after dinner, possibly with a small glass of sweet wine, such as Vin Santo or Moscato.
Traditionally, in the old trattorias of the Castelli Romani, during the harvest season, people used to dip these small cookies in the new red wine and enjoy them with friends. You must try it!
Tips and Variations
- RED WINE: You can use either red or white wine to make Italian wine cookies. In ancient times, red wine was most commonly used because it was probably the most widely available. With red wine you will get cookies with a slightly darker color and a more intense flavor.
- WHITE WINE: White wine cookies will be lighter in color and flavor but more golden.
- ANISEED AND OTHER AROMAS: Wine cookies are often flavored with aniseed. If you do not have or do not like aniseed, you can easily omit it or replace it with cinnamon or clove powder.
- NUTS: You can also add chopped walnuts to the dough to enrich the cookies.
- SUGAR: The last addition of granulated sugar before baking is to caramelize the cookies, which should have a characteristic light crust. However, if you prefer to use less sugar and make cookies without an outer crust, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on the surface before serving.
Ciambelle al Mosto di Marino
There are some local variations of the traditional recipe for these Italian wine cookies (ciambelle al vino).
The most famous is that of the "Ciambelle al mosto di Marino" (small doughnuts with must from Marino), a small town in the Colli Romani. They are made with wine must.
There is also a legend about this version.
The story goes that a baker in Marino began to make cookies with grape must. The result was much appreciated, but the baker never revealed the recipe. After her death, wine must cookies made according to the baker's recipe were not produced in the town for a long time.
In the years that followed, the people of Marino slowly began to make them again, so much so that they became a symbol of the town. It's even said that when Cola di Rienzo invaded the town, a mule carrying two baskets full of ciambelle was enough to drive him away!
Other variations are the "Ciambelle Degli sposi" with lemon zest and sprinkles. They were named after the ancient custom of giving the bride and groom a certain number of ciambelle, according to the degree of their relationship.
Another variation worth mentioning is the "Ciambelle al Vino moscato di Terracina" (wine cookies with Moscato from Terracina).
Origins
The origins of Ciambelline al vino are very ancient and are linked to the peasant culture of the Lazio countryside.
These delicious wine cookies were a humble treat, made with whatever was available at home.
Although there is no exact place where the recipe for these cookies would have originated, the area indicated is the Castelli Romani.
Recipe Card
Ciambelline al Vino (Italian Wine Cookies)
Ingredients
- 300 g flour 2 cups, "00"
- 100 ml olive oil ~½ cup, extra virgin
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup, + about 4 tablespoons for the topping
- 8 g baking powder ~½ tablespoon
- 100 ml wine ~½ cup, red or white dry wine
- ½ teaspoon anise seeds optional
Instructions
THE DOUGH
- Pour the flour into a bowl. Then make a hollow in the center and pour in the wine and the EVO oil.
- Add the sugar and, if you like the taste, you can add half a teaspoon of aniseed at this point. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients.
- Add the baking powder and mix until the mixture has the consistency of a dough. Then switch to kneading with your hands.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand until you have a firm, homogeneous ball of dough.
- Place in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel. Let rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
THE SHAPE
- At the end of the resting time, take the dough and start forming small doughnut-shaped cookies. Take about 30 grams (1 ounce) of dough and roll it into rolls about 15 cm (6 inches) long. Fold the rolls back on themselves and close to form a ring.
THE BAKING
- Dip the cookies in a generous amount of granulated sugar.
- Place the ciambelle on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Be sure to space the cookies well apart. PLEASE NOTE: During baking, the cookies will puff up a bit and may stick together if they are too close together.
- Bake the wine cookies in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.
- Remove your Italian wine cookies from the oven, let them cool and serve.
Paola says
Hello from Australia.
Have made these a couple of times now, easy to make and delicious with coffee or tea.
Made some to include with Christmas gifts this year.
Thank you for sharing.
Kitty Bennett says
My grandmother was from Palermo but passed when I was 3. My family love fig cookies and I want to branch out and add different cookies to my recipe box.