Do you love traditional Neapolitan Pastiera as much as I do, but you’re looking for an exciting and fun alternative? Let me show you how to make Mini Neapolitan Pastiera that retain all the traditional flavors. These mini pastieras will be perfect to serve as a dessert or at a buffet during Easter or any occasion you prefer.
The queen of Easter in Naples is her: the Pastiera! And of course, we are talking about the Traditional Neapolitan Pastiera, but I was looking for an alternative way to serve it during my parties, so I made this mini version, cakes that will win you over.
It is certainly a more elaborate and time-consuming dessert to make, but it will be worth it.
Take notes, follow the steps, and you’ll have fragrant and flavorful Mini Neapolitan Pastiera in simple steps.
TRY ALSO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Mini Neapolitan Pastiera
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 eggs (small)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Half an orange (zest)
- Half a lemon (zest)
- 7 oz cooked wheat
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- Half an orange (whole peel)
- Half a lemon (whole peel)
- 9 oz sheep ricotta
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (medium)
- to taste ground cinnamon
- to taste orange blossom water
- 1 tbsp limoncello
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools for Mini Neapolitan Pastiera
- 1 Muffin Tin muffin tin
- 1 Knife kitchen knife
- 2 Bowls transparent bowls
- 1 Saucepan saucepan
Steps for Mini Neapolitan Pastiera
– First thing to do, put the ricotta and sugar to marinate. This way, the sugar will dissolve perfectly and make everything taste better. So put the ricotta (better if sieved) in a bowl with the sugar and mix well. Cover and set aside.
– Let’s focus on the shortcrust pastry (I use a stand mixer, but the steps are the same by hand).
Mix soft butter with sugar. Add eggs, salt, grated zest and incorporate the flour. Work until you get a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least half an hour (preferably 45 minutes).– Let’s move on to the Wheat Cream. Bring all the ingredients to medium heat and stir with a spoon or whisk until it nearly reaches a boil. Never let the milk boil. Lower the heat or remove from the stove if necessary. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the cream becomes nicely thick.
Remove from heat, remove the peels now and blend just part of the wheat with an immersion blender. This way it will incorporate perfectly with the ricotta later, but we’ll still feel all the texture of the wheat.
Let it cool in its pot.– In the meantime, retrieve the marinated ricotta. Add the rest of the ingredients, beating with a whisk and incorporating the eggs one at a time. Leave in the fridge while waiting for the wheat cream to cool so it can be added.
– Take our muffin tin and butter it or use spray oil. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line the tin.
– Take the wheat and ricotta cream and mix them well together with a spatula. We can now add this filling to the shortcrust shell.
Cover the mini pastieras with small strips of shortcrust pastry. Four will be enough for each mini cake.
In general, bake in the oven at 356°F for 40-45 minutes (depends on the oven).
I slightly preheat the oven and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave it for another 5 minutes.Before serving, I recommend leaving the Mini Pastiera out of the oven for at least 5 hours
Variations from Traditional Neapolitan Pastiera
– In the recipe, I omitted the addition of candied fruit in the ricotta cream. This is because, since they are to be enjoyed as small pastries, I wanted to make the final flavor more delicate. You can obviously add citron if you like.
– In this version, the shortcrust pastry is made with only butter, without lard. I did this because, having to line the muffin tin with small shortcrust shells, it is easier for me to roll out compared to pastry with lard. If you prefer, you can halve the amount of butter and replace the other half with lard.
Questions and Answers
How long should mini Neapolitan pastieras rest before being eaten?
The ideal way to enjoy excellent mini pastieras is to let them rest for at least 5 or 6 hours after baking. Remember to cover them with powdered sugar.
Can I add candied fruit to the mixture?
Certainly. In my version, I omitted the citron and candied fruit to make the mini pastieras more delicate in flavor. But you can absolutely add citron or candied fruit to the ricotta cream before adding the wheat.
