Nancy Verde Barr's (Biscotti Di Pepe) Pepper Biscuits

Gail Ciampa

The Providence Journal

Recently a reader was on the hunt for a recipe for pepper biscuits, a popular treat to enjoy with wine or the beverage of your choice.

I always think that when one reader wants a recipe, there are probably others. I went into the archives and found a few.

Among them was one from Nancy Verde Barr, a cookbook author from Providence who worked with Julia Child back in the day. 

In 1990, Verde Barr's "We Called It Macaroni: An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking" (Knopf) featured a recipe for Taralli. She said that pepper biscuits are common to Italian-American neighborhoods. They were probably created here to resemble the "taralli," which is the same shape but is boiled before baking. Taralli may be sweet or savory.

Here's her recipe and two from archived Good Neighbors recipe columns.

Pepper Biscuits

(Biscotti Di Pepe)

1 package dry yeast

About ½ cup warm water (110 degrees)

4 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons cracked black pepper

½ cup olive oil

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds, optional

Olive oil

Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup water. Sift flour, salt and pepper onto the counter. Make a well in the center and add the yeast, the remaining water and the oil. Blend together and gradually begin to incorporate the flour. This may also be done in a food processor or a mixer with a dough hook. Add fennel seeds if desired. The dough will be stiff. Knead 10 minutes, put in oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Break off small pieces of dough and roll into small ropes about 6 inches long. Form a ring and pinch the ends together. Place on a heavy baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes. Brush with oil and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.

Makes about 36.

From Nancy Verde Bar's "We Called It Macaroni"

Italian Pepper Biscuit Sticks 

4 cups flour 

2 teaspoons salt 

2½ teaspoons pepper 

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

¾ cup oil 

1 cup ice water 

Combine ingredients, then knead for a few minutes.  

Make biscuits or form into sticks and brush with egg.  

Let rise for 10 minutes, covered with a towel.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, but keep an eye on them to not overcook.

From The Good Neighbors column

Italian Egg Biscuits

6 cups flour 

2 tablespoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

6 eggs 

1 cup sugar 

1 cup oil 

½ small bottle anise 

½ cup milk 

Anise glaze  

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Beat eggs with sugar, oil, anise and milk. Add to well in flour mixture. Mix and knead until smooth. Shape into biscuits on greased baking sheet and bake 12 minutes in preheated 325 degree oven, or until light golden brown. 

To make anise glaze: Mix one box confectioners sugar with ½ bottle anise and 4 tablespoons milk, or enough to make a smooth consistency. Frost biscuits while warm.