Typical of the Province of Teramo, in particular the inland mountain areas and foothills, “pepatelli” are small flat biscuits, about half a centimetre thick, of a yellow-greyish colour, hard and chewy, made with wholemeal flour, honey, almonds and ground pepper.
The recipe and tradition evidently date back to the medieval “pan pepato”, so typical of the Central Apennine regions, and of which “pepatelli” are just one of many local variants.
Honey is melted in a pan and lightly-toasted unpeeled almonds are added to this. Separately, a flour well is prepared and the honey and almonds are poured into it, followed by cubed orange peel, pepper and oil. Then mixing begins, first with a wooden spoon and then by hand. When the mixture is well amalgamated, 5-6cm wide rolls are made, slightly flattened and then baked at a 175-180°C until they become an even golden colour. When cooked, the rolls must be cut immediately into thin slices; to store they should be kept in airtight tins, so they do not loose their moisture and remain soft.
The traditional processing methods have been used for at least 25 years, as confirmed by Rino Faranda in his Gastronomia Teramana (Ed. Tercas, Teramo 1978).
