The little Saint Aghata olives are almond sweets of  Catania, prepared usually in January and February, before and during the feast of the patron (3 – 5 February).
They’re olive-shaped sweets made of almond paste, coated by sugar and painted deep green that remind to the fruits of the olive. There is also a variant where the traditional little olives are covered with chocolate.
These olives are connected to a legendary event narrated in the hagiography of the Saint. It is said that while she was searched by soldiers of Quinziano, (the Roman proconsul that wanted use violence on her), leaning to tie a shoe, she saw sprouting spontaneously before her an olive tree that hid her to the sight of the guards and gave her the fruits to eat.

Little Saint Aghata olives

Ingredients for preparing the little Saint aghata olives:

500 gr of almond paste
Green food colouring
Sweet liqueur (Maraschino or Strega)
Sugar

Ingredients for preparing the almond paste:

500 gr of almond flour
500 gr of sugar
2 pinches of vanilla
125 gr of water

Directions to prepare the almond paste:

Pour into a saucepan the water and sugar, put on the fire and stir with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil and once the sugar begins to spin, remove from heat.

At this point, pour the almond flour and the vanilla, stirring so that the ingredients amalgamate well and do not form lumps.

Pour the dough on a marble table, previously wet, and when it is just cold, knead the dough a long time, until it becomes smooth and compact.

Preparation of little olives:

Take the almond paste, add the green food colouring to give a color as real as possible, flavor with the liqueur and mix well.

Break the dough into pieces, giving them the form of olives and make they roll into the sugar.

Now lay on a tray.

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