Venetian Purim Cookies: Impade

Given that my blog is called Poppy and Prune, you might assume I am a hamantaschen fan. And you wouldn’t be wrong. But I also love learning about lesser-known Purim delicacies. Like impade, a hard S-shaped cookie filled with almond paste, a traditional Venetian Jewish dolci (sweet) traditionally eaten at Purim, but also enjoyed year round.

The almond filling suggests that impade evolved from sweets brought to Venice by Sephardic Jews feeling from the Inquisition, almond being a characteristic ingredient in medieval Iberian baking. The name “impade” may even be related to “empanada,” the stuffed dough pockets common throughout the Latin world—their name means “wrapped in bread” in Spanish, and they date back at least to 1500 or so.

The Spanish Schola, Venice, via museoebraico.it

Venice’s Jewish community dates to the 13^th century, and its famous ghetto (and the first to which this word was applied—though not the first time Jews were forced into segregated quarters) to the 16^th.

The city’s Jewish population was a mix of Italian Jews, who migrated to Venice from Rome and from southern Italy, where they faced persecution; German Jews, who likewise moved southward to Venice due to virulent anti-Semitism in their communities of origin; and Sephardic Jews who came to Venice after being expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 1490s.

Matzah baking as depicted in a book of Jewish customs printed in Venice in 1600, via the British Library

Despite the restrictions placed upon the Jews of Venice—they were only allowed outside the confines of the ghetto during the day, and were locked inside at night; they were only permitted to work in a limited number of professions; outside the ghetto, they were required to wear identifying clothing, such as a yellow circle or scarf—Jewish commerce and scholarship flourished, peaking in the 17^th century when the ghetto population topped off around 5,000.

But with Venice’s decline on the world commerce scene, economic conditions for Jews began deteriorating by the end of the 17^th century, and anti-Jewish sentiment worsened throughout the 18^th—until 1797, when Napoleon invaded Venice and tore down the ghetto gates, ending the era of mandatory segregation (though many poorer Jews did stay in the ghetto, despite their newfound freedom). Venetian Jews officially achieved full equality as citizens in 1866, following Italy’s unification.

But tensions rose again following World War I, and the situation for Venetian Jews drastically worsened during World War II when German troops occupied the city in 1943. 205 Jews were deported, with very few survivors.

Today, Venice is home to only about 450 Jews, 30 of whom live in the (now very touristy) ghetto—where you can still find a kosher bakery cooking up traditional treats like impade.

Impade for sale in the ghetto ©Awakening/Xianpix

Venetian Almond-Filled Cookies: Impade

Dough

3 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 ¼ cups sugar

Pinch of salt

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and oil. Stir in the sugar and salt. Stir in the flour to form a soft dough that holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

Filling

9 ounces blanched almonds

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or a nut grinder, process the almonds into a powder. Add the sugar, eggs, and zest and process into a paste.

To Assemble

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease them.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a ¾-inch thick rope, then cut the ropes into 2-inch piece. Flatten each piece and roll into a thin rectangle. Spread a heaping teaspoon of the almond filing along the center of each rectangle, leaving the edges uncovered, then bring the long sides of the rectangle over the filling and press to seal. Bend the cookies into an S shape and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Immediately roll in confectioners’ sugar, then place on a wire rack and let cool.

Sources: “Cookery,” Museo Ebraico di Venezia; Encyclopedia of Jewish Food (Gil Marks, 2010); “Virtual Jewish World: Venice, Italy,” Jewish Virtual Library