If you’ve never had Italian wine biscuits before, we urge you to give them a try. It’s important to explain that wine biscuits are not really “biscuits” in the American sense – they’re cookies! Admittedly, they’re not the prettiest cookies in the world, but the subtle flavors of the red wine, black pepper, and a wee bit of salt are sure to get you hooked.
Our recipe came to us from a family friend whose father, an Italian immigrant, made his own red wine in the basement of his Providence, Rhode Island home. The flavor that robust homemade wine gave to these biscuits was second to none, but if you use a good hearty red like Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon, it should yield great results.
We recommend serving wine biscuits with some fruit and cheese for dessert after an authentic Italian menu. Possible cheese choices include fresh mozzarella, taleggio, and Bel Paese. Wine biscuits are also delicious with a cup of espresso and pair well with fortified wines like Marsala or Ruby Port.
Italian Wine Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Make a well in the center and add the vegetable oil and wine.
- Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To form the biscuits, pinch off 1-inch balls of dough and gently roll into a small log about 1/2-inch in diameter.
- Bring the ends together to form a circle and pinch to close.
- Place the formed biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg-water mixture.
- Bake for 12 to 18 minutes until solid and slightly crisp on the outside.
- These cookies do not really brown, so test them after 12 minutes and time them according to your personal taste.
- Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.
LIZ says
I used to live in Rhode Island and my Italian friends shared these cookies with me! It is a great recipe and very easy to make. Enjoy !!
toni jean says
i am excited to try this recipe for the wine biscuits , they look just like the ones my mom use to make! thank you for sharing.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Toni,
We love these biscuits – not too sweet. I hope you enjoy them.
Nancy says
Thank you so very much for posting this Wine Biscuits recipe! I have searched for years for the recipe….it sounds exactly like the cookies prepared by my Sicilian-American “Papa” who would prepare them each fall after he had pressed the grapes for his homemade wine!
He would save these for himself…and savor a couple of these admittedly ugly cookies with strong, black Italian cookies. Even though a child, I preferred these cookies to the sweet, delicate and buttery cookies my Nana would prepare and which were devoured by her other grandchildren.
Dear Toni,
I can hardly wait to make these….and share some with my sibblings!
Buona Natale…..and thanks sincerely for the recipe and the precious memories of times long gone but never forgotten!
Warmly,
Nancy
Lynne Webb says
Hi Nancy,
These cookies are a favorite of ours as well. They’re not particularly good looking, but they do have a great flavor. Enjoy!