Sicilian Easter tradition
 The “coddura” or “cuddhura” is a typical Sicilian sweet, of Orthodox origin, which was and is still prepared during the Easter period.
In Sicily, it is the most popular Easter cake, which can be shaped as a big round circle or heart, always incorporating an odd number of eggs in their shells. Another popular shape is the “campanaru”, a bell that chimes on the day of Christ resurrection. The shape of “panarieddu", a basket, whishes you abundance; a "gadduzzu”, a rooster or dove for boys, a "pupa" (doll) for girls, and a "heart" for their beloved.
A bit of History
The term "cuddhura" comes from greek "Coulloura" a special cake which the ancient Greeks used to offer to the gods in exchange for favors and kindness. Since the advent of the Christian religion, it addresses couples in particular rather then the pagan gods of the ancient Greece.
In the past, the "coddure" used to be brought to church on the Holy Saturday morning to be blessed before the Resurrection, to emphasize the value of blessed fertility.
Today however, they are mainly given as a gift for good wishes: the "Zita" (girlfriend) would prepare the heart-shaped coddura for his boyfriend, who would buy for her a sweet marzipan “agnidduzzu” (lamb), these gestures celebrate rebirth and fertility.
 Cuddura cull'ova
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cooking time: 40 min
• Preparation: 15 min
Ingredients – makes 6 baskets
- 500g flour
- 1 sachet dried yeast
- 200g butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 sachet vanillina (vanilla in powder)
- 200g sugar
To decorate:
- sugar sprinkles
- 1 beaten egg
Method
1. Sieve the flour and mix in the sugar, vanillina and dried yeast, then add softened butter, eggs and mix.
2. Knead the mixture well to mix the ingredients to a dough consistency, add a little bit of water if the dough is too brittle.
3. Divide the dough into 5, and put aside a little bit of dough out of each, to form the crosses on top of the eggs.
4. Model the "cuddura" directly onto greaseproof paper; chose your shapes from the Sicilian tradition: a heart, a basket, a pretzel, a bell, a doll, a rooster, a dove.
5. With gentle pressure, position one egg still in its shell on the dough shape and roll out two sausage-shapes out of dough to position over the egg, forming a cross.
6. Transfer your greaseproof paper onto a baking tray, brush the shapes with a beaten egg and garnish with sugar sprinkles.
7. Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 or 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for about 35-40 minutes.
© photos:
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- (Pretzel - Rooster/Dove - Bell)
  
Kinder Egg: My Easter tradition :-)
It's not Easter without a Kinder Easter Egg, whether Classic, Maxi, Giant, for Him, for Her...it doesn't really matter.
 During my childhood, Easter was ALL about having a fantastic Kinder Egg (I was smaller, so it looked very big to me) and loving both chocolate and surprise. The typical surprise I was always glad to find was from Tom&Jerry range of little toys. Nowadays I get a bit disappointed to find that they've created such a large scale of gifts that it doesn't seem the same anymore (eg. Barbie's and others). Nonetheless, when I can, I always choose the one that features a surprise from the Looney Tunes inside..
The difficulty today (I'm a grown up person but still love this Egg) is in trying to find the Kinder Easter Egg in UK. I haven't been too lucky so far, so every year I ask my lovely parents to buy one for me in Italy, to keep it until I would go back to visit them, and often end up eating it in summer. It's the thought that counts!
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