In the Piceno area and throughout the Marche region, the word "Christmas" immediately brings to mind "frustingo." This traditional Christmas dessert is a concentrated delight, enjoyed by people of all ages. Its distinctive flavor comes from a combination of dried fruit, candied fruit, and figs, the key ingredients of this ancient recipe, often enhanced with local cooked wine.
The name "frustingo" likely originates from the Latin terms "frustum" or "frustulus," meaning "small piece," which explains the name used in the Ascoli area. Let's explore how to prepare this traditional dessert.
A Journey Through Time: The History of Frustingo
Frustingo, also known as "fristingo," is one of the oldest desserts in the culinary tradition of the Marche region. Legend has it that the recipe was passed down from the ancient Piceni people over two thousand years ago, based on an even older Etruscan recipe. Originally, this Christmas treat was made by mixing various cereal flours, including farro, barley, durum wheat, spelt, and marzaiolo wheat, with raisin juice and then baking it in clay pots.
This cake was traditionally prepared by housewives during the Christmas season as a sign of good luck. This delicious, low, and crunchy cake was given as a gift to friends and relatives, made with dried figs and other raw materials preserved by farmers in the pantry throughout the year.
The Essential Ingredients for Frustingo
The frustingo, or fristingo, is a typical Christmas dessert of the Marche tradition. It is a rich and very aromatic dessert, prepared with a dough based on dried figs, cooked wine, almonds, walnuts, bitter cocoa, chocolate flakes, raisins, stale breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, coffee, candied fruit and liqueur.
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Here's a list of ingredients you'll need to create your own frustingo:
- Dried figs
- Cooked wine
- Cinnamon
- Lemon zest
- Orange zest
- Raisins
- Sugar
- Coffee
- Chocolate chips
- Rum
- Oil
- Toasted walnuts
- Blanched and peeled almonds
- Pine nuts
- Candied fruit
- Flour
- Almonds
- Nuts
- Spices
- Chocolate
Some recipes may include:
- Mollica of stale bread
- Bitter cocoa
- Maraschino liqueur
- Anise liqueur
- Brandy
- Coffee liqueur
- Vanilla seeds
- Cloves
- Ground cardamom seeds
Preparing the Frustingo: A Step-by-Step Guide
There are many variations of frustingo, with over twenty different recipes found throughout the Marche region. Each family often has its own unique twist on this classic dessert. However, the basic steps remain consistent.
Here's a general guide to preparing frustingo:
- Prepare the Figs: Chop the figs and soak them in lukewarm water to soften.
- Boil the Mixture: In a pot, combine the soaked figs with cooked wine, cinnamon, lemon zest, and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil. After boiling for 10-15 minutes, add the raisins (previously washed) and continue boiling for another 10-15 minutes.
- Cool and Rest: Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Once cooled, add sugar, coffee, chocolate chips, rum, oil, toasted walnuts, blanched and peeled almonds, pine nuts, candied fruit, and flour.
- Mix Thoroughly: Mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- Prepare the Baking Pans: Grease the baking pans with oil and fill them to a height of at least 5 centimeters.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-40 minutes. The frustingo is ready when it is dry to the touch.
- Cool and Serve: Let the frustingo cool completely before serving.
A Detailed Recipe
Here’s a more detailed recipe incorporating elements from various sources:
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- Soak the Figs: Soak the dried figs in lukewarm water for about 2 hours, making sure they are completely covered.
- Prepare the Figs and Raisins: After soaking, add wine to the fig soaking water and place on the stove. Meanwhile, toast the almonds and soak the raisins to rehydrate them.
- Chop the Ingredients: Chop the chocolate, walnuts, candied fruit, and toasted almonds. Reserve a few almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts for decoration.
- Process the Figs: Drain the figs and chop them, keeping the soaking liquid aside.
- Combine Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the chopped ingredients, the fig soaking liquid, honey, sugar. Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture along with oil, cooked must, coffee, and rum.
- Add Flour and Breadcrumbs: Mix well and finally add flour, sifted cocoa, and breadcrumbs. The mixture should be soft; if it is too dry, add a little coffee and cooked must.
- Prepare the Pans: Grease the baking pans with oil, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and pour in the mixture, leveling it with a spoon. Decorate the surface with some of the reserved dried fruit.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Tips for the Perfect Frustingo
- Resting the Mixture: For best results, let the mixture of dried fruit and candied fruit rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking. This will help the ingredients bind together and create a more flavorful final product.
- Alcoholic Variations: While rum, maraschino liqueur, and anise liqueur are commonly used, you can substitute brandy or coffee liqueur. For a kid-friendly version, you can omit the alcohol altogether.
- Spice It Up: Add a touch of cinnamon, vanilla seeds, cloves, or ground cardamom seeds to enhance the flavor of your frustingo.
- Decoration: In addition to candied cherries and walnuts, you can decorate the frustingo with other dried and candied fruits. You can also dust the top with powdered sugar.
- Storage: If you have any leftover frustingo, store it at room temperature under a glass dome for up to 5 days.
Aurelio Damiani’s “Lightened” Frustingo Recipe
This recipe offers a slightly lighter take on the traditional frustingo, resulting in a cake-like consistency.
Ingredients:
- 300g dried figs
- 100g soaked raisins
- 200g milk
- 50g rum
- 100g shelled walnuts
- 20g candied orange peel
- 20g candied citron
- 3 eggs
- 100g sugar
- 100g melted butter
- 250g type 00 flour
- 1 packet of baking powder
- Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
Instructions:
- Soak the figs and raisins in milk and rum overnight.
- In the morning, add all the other ingredients.
- Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased 25 cm diameter baking pan (or two 15 cm pans for a mini version).
- Bake for 45 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.
- Once cooked, let it cool slightly and turn it out onto a serving dish.
Where to Find Authentic Frustingo
While making frustingo at home is a rewarding experience, you can also find it at various bakeries and restaurants in the Marche region, including:
- Panificio Ciarrocchi Enrico (San Benedetto del Tronto): This bakery makes frustingo year-round, using a traditional recipe with 17 or 18 ingredients.
- Mandì (Civitanova Marche): This restaurant offers frustingo as a dessert or whole cake for takeaway, prepared using a family tradition.
- 180 Gradi (Fermo): This pastry shop prepares frustingo from November to Epiphany, using high-quality ingredients.
- Panificio Moresco (Moresco): This family-run bakery makes frustingo with black figs and a touch of orange and lemon zest.
- L’Assalto ai Forni (Ascoli Piceno): This bakery prepares frustingo in December, following a family recipe from Nonna Artemide.
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