Shortcrust pastry sfogliatelle with ricotta are delicious desserts made with an outer shell of shortcrust pastry and a filling of semolina cream, ricotta, and candied fruits.
They are truly tasty with their unmistakable aroma and flavor, perfect for breakfast, a snack, or as a treat when you want to enjoy a sweet pause. Enjoy them while still warm because they release more aromas.
Sfogliatelle are typical Neapolitan desserts; every pastry shop and bar has them. There are two versions: the ricce made with a long puff pastry process and the frolle, which are simpler to make at home. Remember, it is important to choose quality products for a good result, so pay great attention to the choice of flour, ricotta, and candied fruits. I used my homemade candied orange peels.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 small pieces
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for Shortcrust Pastry Sfogliatelle with Ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 1 Grated lemon zest
- 1 Vanilla bean (or 2 drops liquid)
- 1 pinch Salt
- 10 oz Sheep ricotta (or cow ricotta)
- 3/4 cup Powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup Water
- 2 oz Semolina
- 1 small egg
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 pinches Cinnamon
- as needed Candied orange
- as needed Grated orange zest
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Piping Bag
- 1 Mold
Preparation for Shortcrust Pastry Sfogliatelle with Ricotta
To prepare the shortcrust pastry sfogliatelle with ricotta and candied fruits, start by preparing the shortcrust pastry. With these quantities, you get 8 small semi-spheres. For more portions, double or triple the quantities.
Shortcrust Pastry Preparation:
Pour the flour, powdered sugar, and grated zest of the organic lemon into the bowl of the stand mixer and start working at speed 2. Add the butter in pieces at room temperature, flavor with vanilla, and continue working until you get a sandy mixture. Incorporate the egg yolks and a pinch of salt and work again until it becomes compact.
Form a dough, wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Filling Preparation:
Pour the water into a saucepan with cinnamon and salt and bring to a boil. Add the semolina gradually and cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
Once cooked, pour the mixture into a wide container and let it cool.
Transfer everything to a bowl, add the powdered sugar, sifted ricotta, and grated orange peel, mix well, then incorporate the egg, mix well, and finish with the candied orange cut into pieces.Sfogliatelle Preparation:
Take the pastry from the fridge, roll it out to about 1/16 inch thickness, use a pastry cutter to cut out many discs, adjusting based on the size of the spheres, then line the silicone semi-sphere molds, previously wiped with an oiled napkin.
With a teaspoon or piping bag, fill and stuff the sfogliatelle. Use a smaller pastry cutter to make additional discs of shortcrust pastry, cover, cut off the excess pastry, and seal the edges of the sfogliatelle well.
Bake at 350 °F (convection) for about 15/20 minutes, placing the mold in the center of the oven.
Remove from oven, let cool for at least 15-20 minutes, then gently extract the sfogliatelle, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve.
Tips and Variations
Tips: if you don’t have the semi-sphere mold, you can make the sfogliatelle by hand, fill one disc, cover with another, and then close and press well with your hands, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
The filling of shortcrust pastry sfogliatelle can be varied: instead of candied fruits, you can add chocolate chips, or you can prepare the filling with orange custard and ricotta, instead of semolina, or even replace the ricotta.
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