Mini deliziose (shortbreads with lemon-ricotta cream rolled in chopped hazelnuts)
| August 24, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under deliziose, dessert, Italian, summer, sweets |
There are some flavors that instantly bring memories of summers back home in Italy for me… These small cookies allow me to time-travel to my childhood. My mother used to make them as the perfect ending for an “all white” summer lunch (which might include a fettuccine timbale with white sauce, a salad of endive, lemon and almonds, oven baked white fish with lemon). Guests would always be in awe of the delicate all-white meal, served either under a white tent on the terrace or under the flowering jasmin tree canopy in the garden, especially on a hot summer day. Gerswhin’s music playing in the background…
“Deliziose” in Italian means delicious little things. And they are. The recipe is an antique Neapolitan baker’s treasure. Like many other pastries, it is believed that the convent nuns used to make these in their kitchen for sweet little indulgences.
The cookies are made of “pasta frolla” (shortbread: flour, butter, eggs). However the filling varies place to place. You might see lemon pastry cream in some places, Italian chantilly cream (pastry cream plus sweetened whipped cream) in others. My mother’s version is light and easy to make. It is a fluffy mixture of fresh cow’s ricotta, sugar and lemon zest (sometimes she might add some Strega liqueur).
Tips: If the ricotta is to liquid, allow it to drain in a sieve over a bowl for half an hour or so, then let it stand in the fridge for an hour once combined with the sugar and lemon zest. Allow the prepared cookies to sit in the fridge before serving for about an hour so they can soften up a slight bit and all the flavors will marry. I brought the chopped hazelnuts back from Italy (“granella di nocciole”) where they are readily available…if you can’t find them, you might want to use chopped pecans or walnuts. Oh…and if you have any left-over lemon-ricotta cream (i doubt it, because you might be licking your fingers while preparing them…) give it as snack for the kids served in small ramekins.
Mini deliziose (shortbreads with lemon-ricotta cream rolled in chopped hazelnuts)
Makes about 50 mini deliziose (serves 6-10 people)
Filling:
15 oz. (~400 gr.) fresh cow’s milk ricotta
1 cup (~150 gr.) sugar
zest of 1 organic lemon
Dough:
2 cups (250 g) flour, unbleached
1/2 cup (125 g, 1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup (110 g) sugar
1 medium egg
1 yolk
To garnish:
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Powder sugar, as needed
Make the filling:
If the ricotta is too thin, let it stand in a sieve over a bowl to drain for about 30 minutes.
Mix the ricotta with the sugar and the lemon zest. Allow to stand in the refrigerator until ready to fill the cookies.
Make the dough:
Mix flour and sugar, then work the butter in with the tip of your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the egg and yolk and work briefly until the dough just holds together. You can use a pastry cutter or a fork if your hands are too warm (which might be the case in the summer). Roll the dough in a ball (take care not to over-knead). Wrap the dough in a towel or wax paper and let it rest in a cool place for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven at 400°F (200°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin and cut it into small rounds using a 1.5 inch cookie cutter. Try to make the rounds as thin as you can. Place on lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until rounds are golden (not brown). Transfer them to a cooling rack.
Assemble the deliziose:
Once the cookies have completely cooled down, sandwich each one of them with the cooled lemon-ricotta cream and roll them in the chopped hazelnuts. Arrange on a serving dish and dust with powder sugar.
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I see, these beautiful talents have been inherited from your mother. Fabulous looking cookies.
thanks Denise. To this day, my mother is always my inspiration!!!
Seriously Amelia??? I can't believe these creations. Your boys will never marry because no one will feed them like you do! I am not a baker but I will have to give these a try… I want to reach through this screen and grab one. I think they'd be delish served after the lavender dorade…
Robin
Robin: I am teaching my boys to cook for themeselves (well, it starts with tasting everything and then appreciating what makes good food) so they can make whatever they wish for themselves
All white food under an all white tent. We should all adopt this charming custom in the summer. Delicious looking cookies.
These are gorgeous! I've just recently gotten into baking with pine nuts and love what they can add to a an otherwise simple cake or cookie. Great pick!
WOW these looking AMAZING and so adorable! Congrats also on your triathlon!!!
These look so heavenly! Thanks for sharing, I must bookmark this recipe
These definitely would not last long at my house.
I have been investigating your blog since you commented on mine for PFB2010. Honestly, it's not everyday I feel wowed by someone else's blog, but yours is so beautiful and your culinary choices are very interesting. I am adding you to my google reader! Good luck in the contest and have a beautiful week!