Sicilian Cheese Filled Pastries Recipes

SICILIAN CASSATELLE WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter. Using your fingers, crumble the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a course meal.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the Marsala, eggs and orange zest. Beat the eggs with a fork gradually incorporating the flour to make a dough. Turn the dough onto counter and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. If the dough is dry, add a tbsp of water at a time, just enough for the dough to come together.
• Flatten into a disc, wrap in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl combine the ricotta, sugar and cinnamon and stir until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the refrigerated dough into 4 pieces. Using a pasta roller, roll the dough until the second to last setting. Alternately, use a rolling pin to roll the dough until very thin, about 2 mm.
• Using a 12 cm cookie cutter, cut circles of dough. Keep covered until ready to fill to prevent from drying. Place about 2 heaping teaspoonfuls of filling in the bottom third of each circle of dough. Fold over the edges to form a half moon shape and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges well.
• Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough. Brush each cassatelle with the egg yolk/milk mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden in colour and lightly browned underneath. Let cool before dusting with powdered sugar.

SICILIAN CHEESE-FILLED PASTRIES

Steps:

• Prepare pastry:.
• Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl.
• Make well in center.
• Add sugar, butter and egg.
• Add wine and stir with fork until liquid is absorbed.
• Turn onto floured board.
• Knead until smooth.
• Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
• Roll on floured surface until 1/16" thick.
• Cut into 3 and 1/2" squares.
• Roll squares, diagonally onto forms (5" long by 1" in diameter cannoli forms or pieces of dowel).
• overlap corners.
• Seal with a little water.
• Heat 3/4" oil in heavy skillet to 375.
• Fry cannolis, 3 at a time, in hot oil.
• When light golden, remove from oil.
• Slip off of forms as soon as cool enough to handle.
• Let cool completely.
• Make filling.
• Combine sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler.
• Slowly stir in scalded milk.
• Cook over boiling waer until mixture thickens.
• Combine 1 c mixture with eggs, beat well.
• pour mixture back into double boiler.
• Cook, stirring 3 minutes.
• Cool and stir in flavor.
• (Filling must be cold before adding ricotta.).
• Beat ricotta and powdered sugar until ricotta is smooth.
• Fold in custard, fruit and chocolate.
• With small spatula, fill cannoli, carefully packing filling.
• Refrigerate until serving time.
• Shells can be made ahead, frozen and filled as needed.