Nowadays we have a very sophisticated palate and we are constantly enticed with increasingly varied and rich flavors. Flavors from the past often don’t match our taste and we perceive them as either too simple or too heavy.
Nevertheless, some simple dishes have something specific and very human that make them pleasant even if they belong to a time that has vanished from our current daily life style.
The “Pan de mej”, for instance, is a typical sweet biscuit from the Lombardy region whose origin dates back to the fourteenth century. These cookies back then were prepared by adding some millet, “Mej” in Lombardy dialect, to normal wheat flour, which at the time was used as a common base of the ancient bakery and later replaced by corn flour so called “Meliga“, which was present around the seventeen hundreds was then sprinkled with elder flowers(sambucco) that bloom in spring and are extremely fragrant.
The “Pan de mej”, for instance, is a typical sweet biscuit from the Lombardy region whose origin dates back to the fourteenth century. These cookies back then were prepared by adding some millet, “Mej” in Lombardy dialect, to normal wheat flour, which at the time was used as a common base of the ancient bakery and later replaced by corn flour so called “Meliga“, which was present around the seventeen hundreds was then sprinkled with elder flowers(sambucco) that bloom in spring and are extremely fragrant.
At this time of year was celebrated the old covenant preparing “pan de mej” sprinkled with elder flowers (sambucco ) that bloomed in those days and milkmen, for the occasion, gave to the customers milk cream to dip these delicious biscuits in, a habit which continues to this day.
Ingredients
75 gr polenta flower (yellow corn flower ground very fine)
75 g flour 00
40 g sugar
50 g butter
8 g yeast
35 ml of milk
1 egg
icing sugar
salt and 1 tsp of dry elder flower(sambucco) if you don’t find them fresh
Melt the yeast in warm milk, then melt the butter in the microwave or in a double boiler.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste.
Let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm place.
Split the dough into pieces (about 40 gr each) and shape them into balls.
Put the balls on a baking tray; tap the cookies slightly and flatten them until they are a centimeter thick.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and bake in preheated oven at 180 ° C for 15-20 minutes.
Serve your “Pan de mej” cookies as the Milanese tradition wants with cream.
That’s it!
We had the wonderful experience of visiting our friend Albertina who is the owner of the Tortatelier Pastry store in Milan, Italy as she took part in the second episode of our series Casa Chiesi Secret Milan and she showed us how to make these delicious ancient cookies!
Tortatelier
Via Maroncelli, 9
20154 Milano
Tel: 0039 +02 62087669
Email: info@tortatelier.it
Web site: www.tortatelier.it
Facebook page: Tortatelier
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