March  9

Anniversary of Jules Cardinal  Mazarin' s Death
 

Giulio Mazzarino was the son of the Major-domo of a Sicilian Prince.who joined the papal diplomatic service where he was favorably noticed by Cardinal Richelieu (September 9). After Mazzarino was appointed as papal Nuncio to France, Richelieu appointed Giulio his personal secretary, and  he was soon elected as Cardinal, even though he was not a priest. To secure his political future in France, Giulio Mazzarino changed his name to Jules Mazarin.

When Queen Anne appointed Mazarin as First Minister after Richelieu's death and allegedly made him her lover. Mazarin led the Thirty Years' War, crushed the Nobles' revolt (Fronde), and defeated Spain, thereby providing France with th secure boarders. However, Mazarin also milked the French Treasury to come the richest man in Europe.

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Jules Cardinal Mazarin

Unfortunately, Giulio Mazzarino' s tastes were not as uncompromising as Richelieu's, although he was responsible for introducing opera to France. Jules was so a dandy, spending thousands of livre on his perfumes, which he doused over himself and his pet monkey. He still used the name Mazzarini on all documents sent to Rome to maintain his "Italianess" since his ultimate goal was to be elected Pope; a goal he almost achieved. Although Mazarin bribed the Spanish Cardinals to vote for him after Alexander VII's death, Mazzarini died before the Pope.

Mazarin tried very hard to copy Richelieu's aesthetics and even had a variation of the Richelieu cookie perfected and named after him (Mazarins).  Mazarins differ from Richelieu's, primarily by substituting a chocolate almond filling instead of Richelieu's beloved frangipani.
 

Mazarins
 
Cookie Ingredients
 		 Filling Ingredients
 
4 TB butter
2 TB confectioner's sugar
2 egg yolks
3 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
butter for greasing baking pans
 

raspberry jam
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 oz grated semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup chopped almonds

 

Instructions
 
  1. Cream butter and confectioner's sugar. Beat in egg yolks one at a time.
  2. Blend in flour and ground almonds to make a stiff dough.
  3. Rollout dough to a rectangle 10"x 6". Cut four 4"x12" strips. Place on a buttered cookie sheet and bake for about 12 - 15 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven.
  4. Beat egg whites. Fold in sugar, chocolate, and almonds. Spoon into a saucepan. Cook over low heat until mixture begins to bubble.
  5. Remove from heat and spread over raspberry layer on cookies.
  6. Return cookies to oven and bake for 20 minutes until topping is firm and glossy. Remove from oven and cut into 2"x4"strips .