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Pasticciotto Recipe
Pasticciotto Leccese is a delicious traditional Italian pastry, typical of the cuisine of Salento in Apulia, particularly in the province of Lecce, from which it takes its name.It's a small, oval-shaped pastry made with shortcrust dough and typically filled with a delicious Crema Pasticcera (custard cream). Crispy on the outside and crumbly in texture, but with a creamy heart, it's a real treat!
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA FROLLA
- 250 g flour - 1 ⅔ cups of “00” flour
- 100 g granulated sugar - ½ cup of
- 120 g butter - ~1 stick, unsalted and cold
- 1 egg - medium, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk - medium, at room temperature
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- ½ lemon - zest (optional)
FOR CREMA PASTICCERA (about 350 g - 1 ½ cups)
- 2 egg yolks - medium
- 50 g granulated sugar - ¼ cup
- 15 g flour - ~2 tablespoons of all purpose
- 35 g corn starch - 3 ¾ tablespoons
- 250 ml milk - 1 cup, whole and fresh
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean - or zest of half lemon
FOR DECORATION
- 1 yolk
- 3 tablespoons milk
- powdered sugar
Instructions
MAKE CREMA PASTICCERA
- Heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla or lemon zest, as desired. Bring to a near boil.
- While the milk is heating, in another saucepan, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and mix well.
- Then add the two sifted flours and mix.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg-sugar-flour mixture, stirring constantly.
- Place the saucepan over low heat. Whisk until the cream thickens (this will take about 3-4 minutes).
- Pour the pastry cream into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (in contact with the cream) and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator (at least 30 minutes).
MAKE PASTA FROLLA
- Put the flour on a pastry board and make a hole in the middle. Pour in the sugar, lemon zest (optional), salt and room temperature eggs in this order.
- Add the cold butter cut into small pieces. Knead the ingredients quickly for the shortest time possible, so as not to overheat the dough, until the mixture is compact and elastic.
- Form a loaf and wrap in plastic wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
MAKE PASTICCIOTTI
- Remove the pasta frolla from the refrigerator. Place it on a marbled pastry board dusted with a little flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it's about 5 mm (⅕ inch) thick.
- Take the oval molds and lightly oil them. Line each mold with shortcrust pastry. Use your fingers to shape the pastry so that it covers the inside of the mold well. Discard any excess dough that sticks out.
- Place 2 or 3 teaspoons of crema pasticcera in each mold so that the cream is just below the rim.
- Take another piece of rolled-out pastry and fully cover the cream.
- Press the dough to the edges to seal the pastry. Again, remove excess dough from the edge of the mold.
- Now beat an egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of milk and brush the surface of the pasticciotti. This will serve to form the shiny and golden top.
THE BAKING
- Bake the pasticciotti in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 30-35 minutes.
- When the pasticciotti are golden brown, remove them from the oven and let them cool at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Finally sprinkle with icing sugar and serve
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 506kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 9gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 796IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 3mg
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