Sfogliatelle

At Rosa’s Italian Market and Deli, owner Tina-Marie Schultz tempts her Post Falls, ID, regulars with freshly baked Old Country treats. A customer favorite is Sfogliatelle, a lobster tail shaped pastry from Campagna, filled with creamy, orange scented ricotta. While current dietary sensibilities might substitute butter or vegetable shortening, Tina-Marie says her dough tastes its flaky best made with highly traditional lard!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• ½ cup water
• Filling (recipe follows)
• ½ cup lard, melted
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender. Gradually stir in water until soft dough forms. Gently knead until completely mixed. Divide dough; flatten each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare filling: Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring to boil, stirring constantly. Once milk boils, gradually whisk in semolina flour, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer briefly until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and cool for five minutes. Whisk in ricotta, egg, sugar, citron, and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate.

On lightly floured surface, roll one pastry disk into a very thin 16 x 24 inch rectangle. Gently brush surface with melted lard. Tightly roll up, jellyroll fashion, starting at short end. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place chilled dough roll on lightly floured surface. Slice each roll into 16 one inch wide disks. One at a time, lay disks on the palm of your left hand. Using right thumb, press center downward to begin forming a small ribbed cone. Place both thumbs inside cone. Working around the rim, begin deepening the cone by pressing the center downward with your thumbs while pulling up the outside with your fingers, until cone opening is four inches wide and its tip is one inch wide. Fill each cone with 1.5 tablespoons filling. Press open edges together to seal.

Place filled pastries one inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 425°F, about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve. Makes 32 pastries.

Filling Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup semolina flour
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ¼  cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped candied citron
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon