Grandma's Italian Honey P's and Q's

Friday, November 12, 2010
This is an Italian Christmas traditional dessert from Calabria that my Mom and Grandmother made every year.

Very popular in the area of Cosenza.

A little time-consuming pastry strip filled with walnuts, raisins, orange zest, and warm spices and drizzled with delicious warm honey then sprinkled with tiny colorful candy balls.

Although we called them P's and Q's these are also referred to or called rosette, or little roses.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit print for this recipe step by step.





6 Steps to Make Italian P's and Q's

  1. make the filling
  2. make the dough
  3. fill
  4. roll into coils
  5. bake
  6. drizzle with honey and sprinkle with candy colorful tiny balls
p's and q's rosettes Italian pastry dough


Rose Coils


Cut long strips of dough fill and roll up in a coil similiar to how roses look.

These are baked in the oven for around 35 minutes, then drizzle with honey and topped with small colorful candies.

Tip: honey does not do well stored in the refrigerator. These should be covered with aluminum foil at room temperature.


honey warmed


More Holiday Recipes to Try



Peanut Brittle

Baked Caramel Corn

Irish Potato Candy

No-Bake Rum Balls

Easy Fudge Recipe

Salted Caramel Bites


rosette filled with nuts, cinnamon and topped with honey


P's and Q's, Christmas honey roses, Honey coils, Italian filling pastry, Italian roses, Italian rosettes filled
Italian pastry, filled pastry, Italian Christmas recipes
Italian
Yield: 20
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Christmas P's and Q's

Christmas P's and Q's

These are filling Italian Pastry called P's and Q's made during the Christmas holiday and drizzled on top with honey
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Ingredients

  • Christmas P's and Q's
  • Filling:
  • 2 cup of raisins
  • 16 ounces of chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup whiskey
  • 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
  • the juice of 1 fresh squeezed orange
  • 1/4 teaspoon of anisette extract
  • Dough:
  • 4 to 5 cups of AP flour and most for rolling
  • 3/4 cup of Pinto Grigio white wine
  • 3 eggs
  • the zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Toothpicks optional for holding the roses together
  • Topping:
  • 1 cup of honey
  • colorful candy sprinkle balls

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and parchment-lined greased baking sheets or lined or round cake pans (10-inch pans you will need two).
  2. Mix all the filling ingredients in a glass bowl, this needs to be covered in the bowl and left out overnight or at least around 8 hours.
  3. Stir the mixture a few times during the time it sits out.
  4. Dough:
  5. On a floured board make a well of 4 cups of the flour on a pastry board or counter.
  6. Using a pastry cutter or fork mix add the mixture to the flour.
  7. With floured hands knead the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until smooth and then cut into 8 pieces and roll those into balls.
  8. Cover the balls while rolling each one out
  9. Roll each ball 1/4 inch thick or put it through a pasta machine to get thin.
  10. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter cut the strip of dough in half lengthwise into two ribbons about 2 1/2 inches wide.
  11. On each half of the ribbon, sprinkle with the filling mixture and fold to close.
  12. Starting at one end, begin to roll these up to look like a coil.
  13. Note: You can add toothpicks to hold them together so they won't open while baking then remove them when finished baking.
  14. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  15. Lower the oven to 325 degrees.
  16. Place the rolls on parchment paper lined round pans or deep baking sheets.
  17. Bake for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
  18. Boil the honey in a saucepan for 3 minutes then pour over the tops.
  19. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
  20. Sprinkle with the colored candy sprinkles.


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