Biscione di Natale

The dough is shaped by hand into its characteristic elongated form and then slowly baked.
Afterward, the meringue is added and gently browned in the oven at a low temperature, creating its signature delicate, crumbly texture.

The recipe

For the base

• 1 kg of almonds
• 800 g of sugar
• 3 egg whites (not whipped)
• and 1 glass of Sassolino (an anise-flavoured liqueur)

For the meringue

• 100 g of egg whites
• 100 g of granulated sugar
• and 100 g of powdered sugar

For the decoration

• apricot jelly
• 2 candied cherries
• and candied orange

Preparation

Finely chop the almonds, add the egg whites and Sassolino liqueur, and mix very well.
Using your hands, press the mixture, spread it on a baking tray, and shape it into a coiled snake form, making one end thinner to represent the tail and the other larger to represent the head.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C. Once baked, brush a light layer of apricot jelly (or apricot jam diluted with water) over the surface.
Prepare the meringue by whisking the egg whites with half of the sugar (mix both types of sugar together and use only half of the mixture).
When the egg whites are stiffly whipped, gently fold in the remaining sugar.
Transfer the meringue into a piping bag and spread it over the cake, applying a thicker layer on the head. Bake at 100°C for 10 minutes, then continue at 80°C until fully cooked.