Looking for Sicilian ancient grains

The visit to the Molini del Ponte for me has been like a carousel ride for the children. Filippo, current owner of the company, is full of energy and he outlined a number of projects, including the one with the agronomist Ugo de Cillis about the recovery of ancient grains. The Sicilian grains, matured under the sun, bring the scents of the territory, of the various spontaneous herbs that grow in the field like dial, chamomile, wild fennel, an indelible imprint and aromas that remain in the flour and reach our tables. Filippo’s grains and flours grow within the Selinunte Archaeological Park, a place of infinite beauty, a Greek colony founded in the second half of the seventh century BC. He is the first person in Sicily to call the flours with the name of the wheat from which they come and the first to attribute to the grains a face and a trace ability.
It’s admirable how much he cares about its company. He has equipped all 5 floors of the building with air conditioning so that both, flours and workers, can feel good and work better. Each bag of wheat is labeled with the name of the grain producer and each bag of flour on sale refers to those who cultivated it.
These flours in addition to reaching Italy, from North to South, with great pride of our miller friend, also go overseas. So don’t be surprised if you find a Perciasacchi flour bread or biscuits made with Maiorca flour in the United States. They will arrive intact thanks to their specific packaging, traveling first class without suffering, Filippo said smiling. The one that among all caught my attention was the Maiorca flour. Since I was a kid, my mother was telling me how good this flour was to make cookies, but we never found it for sale. Well, Filippo has it!! So, I decide to prepare cookies using Maiorca flour, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Primula Verde that Filippo produces and the Passito wine from my trip to Pantelleria. I decided to call my cookies Le maiorchine, as the name of the Maiorca flour. Here the recipe:

For about 20 cookies:

250 gr. (2 cups) of Molini del Ponte’s Maiorca flour
½ Glass of Passito di Pantelleria
½ Glass of Molini del Ponte’s E.V.O.O. Primula Verde
200 gr. Of sugar (1 cup)
100 gr. (1 cup) of almonds
100 gr. (1 cup) of raisins
1 pinch of salt
1 coffee spoon of baking powder

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, almonds and raisins in a bowl and mix itall together. Add a pinch of salt, extra virgin olive oil, wine and form the dough. On a baking tray, place the biscuits using a spoon or work it with your hands giving a round shape. Place in the oven and cook at 180° degrees (360° F.) for about 20 minutes, let it rest for few minutes and enjoy.

For any further information contact me at
stefaniamontalbano@carlozucchetti.it