Ingredients
Soften the butter at room temperature, add the sugar and start creaming together. When you have obtained a first mixture, add the eggs (you can use four egg yolks and two egg whites if you prefer) and mix again. Then add the flours, the yeast and the powdered vanilla. Shape the biscuits (the ingredients are enough for 50-55 biscuits) into a round or elongated, ring or crescent shape, using a pastry chef's syringe with a large opening. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C. A Slow Food Presidium has been established to protect Pasta di Meliga del Monregalese: the presidium requires their preparation according to tradition, with stone-ground wheat and wholemeal maize flour, sugar, butter and fresh eggs, with no margarine, artificial flavours or preservatives. A high-quality supply chain has also been set up: some farmers have reintroduced the old Ottofile maize and a stone mill has been reactivated to mill it. The Presidium's “pasta di meliga” are yellow, crispy, neither greasy nor too sweet, and they melt in the mouth. The texture of the maize flour must be noticeable during chewing.