Conference turris::cooks

    Is it an Hispanic recipe?
    
    ed

I'll ask around my Italian family-in-law-to-be and see if I can come 
up with anything.

Sheridan
:^)

re:            <<< Note 3855.3 by SUBURB::MCDONALDA "Shockwave Rider" >>>
>              -< Go on, make my day: How do you pronounce this? >-

Why, just like it's spelled, of course. :^)

re: .0

I just checked - 10 Italian cookbooks - no recipe or reference. I'd try
the ITALY conference on ROM-<mumble>::. Or, take a trip to Mike's Pastry
in the North End. :^)

Sfogliata is a thin layer of puff paste, so it all sounds right. . .

How does it differ from a napoleon?
(And, don't tell me it doesn't have it's hand stuck in its coat. :^)

-Jack

In the Sicilian neighborhood I grew up in, it was pronounced
"sfa-ya-dell". In the north of Italy, it might be pronounced
"sfal-ya-telly", but I have no idea. It's as has been described: a
flaky pastry with a pastry cream filling. It's essentially a French
millefeuille, but it has a unique, very pretty shape which sort of
looks like a clam shell. I have no idea how they make it in that shape,
but it probably isn't rocket science.

    Hmmm, I have a pan to bake madeleines (small, light tea cakes) that
    look like elongated scallop shells.  I wonder if they use that,
    or some kind of "cutter" for these things.  
    
    Noranne
    

    "...a flaky pastry with a pastry cream filling.  ... it has a unique,
    very pretty shape which sort of looks like a clam shell."
    
    Ah.  That describes a not-so-little something from the Donna Cara
    Pastry Shop on Medford Street in Somerville, Mass.
    
    							Ann B.

Yeah, they're quite a bit larger than madeleines, and their shape isn't
formed by the pan they're baked in (they're baked on a flat sheet). The
"ridges" of the clam shell are actually the layers of the pastry.

    Sfogliatelle Frolle
    (Sweet Ricotta Turnovers)

    for the pastry:
    1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
    6 TBS sugar
    pinch of salt
    3-4 TBS cold water
    1/4 cup lard
    1 egg yolk to brush the pastry

    for the filling:
    2 cups water
    scant 1 cup semolina
    pinch of salt
    scant 1 cup ricotta cheese
    3/4 cup sugar
    1 egg beaten
    1 cup mixed candy peel
    few drops vanilla extract
    pinch of ground cinnamon
    confectioner's sugar

   Sift together the flour, sugar and salt and make a well in the center. 
   Gradually mix in enough water to make a stiff dough.  Cut the lard into
   small pieces and work it into the dough.  Knead the dough quickly until
   smooth and pliable.  Leave to rest in a cool place for 1/2 hour.

   To make the filling bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and
   sprinkle in the semolina, stirring constantly.  Add the salt and cook
   briskly for 5 min., stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.  Turn the
   mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool.  Mix together the ricotta
   cheese, sugar, egg, finely chopped candied peel, vanilla extract, and
   cinnamon.  Add the mixture to the semolina and mix to an even consistency.

   Divide the pastry dough into twelve pieces and roll them into ovals 1/4"
   thick.  Put a little filling on one half of each oval of pastry, fold over
   the other half and press the edges well to seal.  Place on a greased cookie
   sheet and brush with beaten egg yolk.  Place in the hottest part of a
   preheated oven at 375�F and bake for about 1/4 hr or until golden brown. 
   Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm or cold.

  I dunno. That sounds nice, but there don't seem to be any steps in
  there which would result in several thousand very thin layers of
  pastry, like I've always seen in sfogliatelle, which give it it's
  attractive appearance and light-as-a-feather consistency. You know,
  like the puff pastries of French croissants and Danish pastry.

    yeah, I forgot to give credit:
    
    I got it from The Great Italian Cookbook, Compiled by the Italian
    Academy of Cookery.  They don't mention much of technique in the recipe
    in .9 (p270), but on p 262, How to make puff pastry, they give a hint
    about what I think you mean:
    
    How to make puff pastry
    makes two 9 inch pie crusts
    (Adapt this to recipe in .9 to make little puff pastries, I guess)
    
    3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    1 3/4 cups butter
    cold water
    pinch of salt
    
    Sift two thirds of the flour and the salt into a bowl and add enough
    cold water to mix to a smooth firm dough.  Leave to chill in the
    refrigerator for 1/2 hr.
    
    In a second bowl, work the remaining flour into the butter.  Shape into
    balls and chill this mixture also. [the picture has 15 balls]
    
    Roll out the dough into a thick rectangle.  Take the butter and flour
    balls out of the refrigerator, place at intervals over one half of the
    dough and fold the other half to cover them.
    
    Now the most delicate part of the operation begins:  gently roll out
    the dough, taking care not to break the outer layer, until it is double
    in size.  Fold again, as before, then roll out once more.  Repeat the
    folding and rolling out at least five times, leaving it to rest 1/4 hr
    each time.
    
    [Good luck, ed]

    Thank you all!

    I think we are close to the sfogliatelle. I thaught it was a kind of 
    millefeuille (hojaldre in Spanish) with its filling. In order to get
    the clam shape I thaught it might be possible to cut 4" squares of the
    dough, put some filling, and fold along a diagonal - but without closing
    the sfogliatella. When cooked, the diferent "feuilles" would separate 
    slightly and open, so it would give it the "clam" shape.

    Regarding the filling, the ones I used to eat in Argentina, were not made
    with any ricotta cheese. The cream was yellowish, thick and very sweet 
    with no hint of cheese. We used to call that "CREMA PASTELERA" ["the 
    pastry makers cream (?)"].

    Regards,

    Juan-Carlos

Sfogliatelle della Nobilita (Pastry of the Nobles)
---------------------------

Puff Pastry Dough for Sfogliatelle -

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup fine semolina or pastry flour
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lard, melted

In a bowl or food processor, combine the flours and salt and mix or process 
well to blend.  Cut the butter into small pieces and work into the dough
with a pastry blender or pulse in the food processor.  Add the water
gradually and mix or process until a ball of soft dough forms.  Wrap the
dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours before continuing with
the recipe.  

When ready to roll, divide the dough in half and work with one piece at a
time.  Roll each piece into a 16 x 22-inch rectangle on a floured and cold
marble slab.  Starting at the short end of each piece, brush one third of
the sheet with some of the melted lard and roll up the pastry tightly, 
jelly-roll fashion.  Brush the remaining two thirds of the sheet with lard
and roll up.

Cut the roll into 2-inch-thick slices and proceed as for the recipe using
the prepared puff pastry (below).

Filling
-------

1 cup milk
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well drained
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS grated lemon zest
1 1-pound package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed, or 1 recipe Puff
  Pastry for Sfogliatelle (recipe above)
4 TBS lard or butter, melted
Confectioner's sugar
Cinnamon
Parchment paper, optional

To make the filling, in a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium-high
heat.  Add the semolina flour in a thin steady stream, stirring constantly 
with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened
and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add the cheese, egg, sugar, and lemon zest to the semolina mixture and beat
well.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, if
available.

Roll 1 sheet of the puff pastry out to a 16 x 22-inch rectangle on a floured,
and preferably cold, surface (marble is suggested).  Starting at a short edge,
brush one third of the sheet with some of the melted lard or butter and begin
rolling the pastry sheet up tightly like a jelly roll; brush the remaining
two thirds of the sheet with lard or butter and roll up.

Cut the roll into 2-inch-thick slices.  Form each piece into a small 
seashell shape by pushing your thumbs against the center of the piece and
spreading it out to a small cup shape.

Fill each shell with about 2 TBS of the semolina filling and place them
1 inch apart on the parchment-lned sheets or on ungreased cookie sheets.
Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.  Bake for 15 minutes or
until nicely browned.  Let cool slightly on the cookie sheets and then
transfer to racks to cool completely.

To serve, sprinkle the sfogliatelle with confectioner's sugar and then
sprinkle a line of cinnamon down the center of each one.

Note:  These can be assembled ahead of time, placed on cookie sheets, 
       wrapped in foil, and frozen for later baking.  Bake them frozen,
       allowing about 10-12 minutes more baking time.

    
    Ahh, my favorite pastry, even more so than cannolli. I make cannolli
    filling at home and buy the shells premade. I wouldn't dream of
    attempting to make a Sfogiatelle. I guess baking is not my thing,
    especially pastry! 
    
    There was some discussion on how to pronounce this. My parents/grandparents
    called them "Sfee-a-dell". I'm not sure how it is pronounced in Italy.
    
    Like cannolli, a good one is a rare find in the area. There is a small
    bake shop called 'La Contessa' in Sommerville. They make nice
    Sfogiatelle, but the canolli's are poor. I also had one good
    Sfogiatelle from a small bakery in the north end, but I can't remember
    the name of the shop!
    
    Sfogiatelle, like canolli, must be eaten fresh. If they lay around for
    a day or so they become soft and "stale". If this happens, you
    can warm them up in the oven and the pastry will crisp up again.
    If a cannolli becomes soft, there's nothing you can do. Canolli must be
    filled and eaten within a few hours. Don't buy them from a bakery that 
    has them prefilled in a case.

    Was the "small bakery in the North End" Mike's Pastry?
    
    That's my favorite stop during the Italian feast weekends.
    
    Noranne
    

    I know that Modern Bakery has those "pastry". My friend always has to 
    stop to get a dozen when we visit Boston.
    
    mm
    

    
    Boy, I really can't remember. I guess I'll have to go back and
    refresh my memory!!
    
    mike