Cartellate (Fried Pastry Roses from Puglia)

During the Christmas holidays, it’s impossible to resist the unmistakable aroma of Cartellate from Puglia, a true treat that tells stories of family, tradition and togetherness. This cartellate recipe takes you on a journey of authentic flavors, in which a paper-thin sheet of dough – made with flour, white wine and oil – is skillfully worked, fluted and wrapped around itself until it looks like an elegant rose. A key step for light, crisp cartellate is making the cartellate dough, which is kneaded by hand and can be scented with anise seeds, giving these fried Christmas sweets a wonderful fragrance.

Patiently rolled up and then fried in plenty of olive oil, cartellate become a feast of flavor once they are dipped in traditional vincotto (a sweet syrup of cooked grape must) made from Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes, or drizzled with sweet honey. If you’d like to try cartellate with white wine and perhaps make a version dressed up with nuts or chocolate, this guide will explain step by step how to make cartellate that are perfect for any occasion. The real secret lies in the ritual of making them: handed down from generation to generation, it brings the whole family together in the cold days leading up to Christmas.

Cartellate with vincotto are among the most iconic traditional Christmas sweets, bringing a burst of crunch and sweetness to your holiday lunches and dinners, especially in the honey and vincotto version. Once you’ve learned how to fry cartellate to perfection, they’ll win you over not only as a dessert but also for the history they bring to the table.

We also recommend trying other holiday treats: discover the Sardinian Zeppole, taste the fragrant Graffe, the unmistakably fragrant Crostoli, the indulgent Nutella-Filled Bugie, or get into the Carnival spirit with classic Carnival Fritters.