Ingredients
Pasta Sfogliata
1 cup sifted pastry flour
tiny pinch salt
1/2 cup butter
ice water
For filling
3/4 pound ricotta
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon seedless white raisins
1 tablespoon candied orange peel, diced fine
1 1/2 tablespoons rum [for soaking raisins and orange peel]
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
Egg wash
1 tablespoon beaten egg
For sprinkling
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Directions
Pasta Sfogliata
Sift flour with salt, cut in butter with pastry cutter and add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough sticks to fingers. Be careful not to use too much water.
Roll dough on floured pastry board into a strip 6 inches wide and about 15 inches long. Fold strip over 3 times (reducing length to 5 inches).
Roll into strip again and again fold strip 3 times.
Repeat this procedure 6 times.
The sfogliata is now ready for cutting and using in different ways in various recipes.
Sfogliata di Ricotta
Cream ricotta well.
Add sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy and smooth.
Soak raisins and orange peel in rum 30 minutes.
Combine milk, egg yolk, flour and sugar and cook over low flame until a smooth cream is formed, stirring constantly.
Remove from fire, add ricotta mixture and the raisins and orange peel with rum.
Mix all togethr well.
Cut pasta sfogliata into 2 parts and roll out into rather thin sheets.
Line pie plate with one sheet, pour in filling and covr with second sheet.
Press top sheet around edge adn trim off excess.
Press together two edges all around.
Brush top with a little beaten egg and bake in hot oven (400 degrees F.) 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with confections' sugar and return to oven for 4 minutes.
Notes
The recipe in this entry was taken from "The Talisman Italian Cook Book" by Ada Boni, translated and augmented by Matilde Pei. The original cook book, an Italian classic, was published in 1929 in Italy. The translation was published in 1950.... Photo: Mary Melfi. |
