Ingredients
For pastry crust
300 grams (about 10 1/2 ounces) white flour
2 eggs
50 grams (about 1 2/3 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
about a tablespoon of water (if needed)
For filling
50 grams (about 1 2/3 ounces) raisins
150 grams (about 5 1/4 ounces) blanched almonds
50 grams pine nuts
50 ml (about 3 tablespoons) mosto cotto
Zest of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
20 grams (about 1 1/4 tablespoons) butter
2 egg yolks
Egg wash
1 egg yolk, beaten
Topping
Icing sugar (optional)
Equipment needed
Pastry molds, greased with butter
Directions
For the dough
Work the ingredients into a malleable, soft dough (add a touch of water if the dough is too hard).
Knead for about 10 minutes.
Form into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap. Let it rest in the fridge while making the stuffing.
Grind the almonds.
In a bowl mix the raisins with the ground almonds and pine nuts.
Add the mosto cotto, then the lemon zest and cinnamon. Mix well. Keep aside.
Roll out the dough.
Line the greased molds with the pastry dough.
Place about a tablespoon of filling in each mold.
Cover with pastry dough, sealing the edges.
Brush the surface of the cookies with the beaten egg yolk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C. degrees until a nice golden color, about 30 minutes.
Cool before removing them from the molds.
Dust with icing sugar prior to serving (Optional).
Notes
These pastries sound very similar to the traditional sweet ravoli that used to be made prior to World War II, except that they are cooked in pastry molds and are baked. In the 1930s home cooks would not have had access to pastry molds, and often, they would not have had ovens at home (Made use of communal ovens), so the sweets were fried, and often shaped into squares or crescents. "Traditional" recipes are being adapted by Italian cooks for modern tastes (No one wants fried foods any more!) and their presentation, upgraded. Using molds does increase the attractiveness of these pastries. It wouldn't surprise me if some (If not all!) the traditional St. Joseph and Christmas sweet fritters, could be done in molds and baked. The taste of the pastries would be changed, but not necessarily for the worse. Everything is worth a try. Personal comments and photo: Mary Melfi |
