The savory Befana stocking is a puff pastry appetizer I created with many stuffed balls, like a rustic danubio. Epiphany is approaching, and I thought of this very simple and quick recipe to prepare, which you can also make with the little ones; your children will love it and will have a blast making it with you! The savory Befana stocking can be stuffed with your preferred tasty and stringy filling; I used salami and scamorza, and ham and scamorza, and only two rolls of puff pastry. I felt almost like an architect figuring out how to cut and then assemble the dough 😀 try it and you’ll make a great impression at this celebration with your guests!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: a savory Befana stocking
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven, Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients
- 5 oz scamorza
- 3.5 oz cooked ham
- 12 slices salami
- 2 sheets puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1 egg
- to taste sesame seeds
Steps
The savory Befana stocking is very simple and quick to prepare. First, take a sheet of puff pastry, unroll it, and cut it into 4 vertical sections and then into 3 horizontal sections, obtaining 12 pieces.
Stuff each piece of puff pastry with a slice of salami and some pieces of cheese, close and form balls.
Take the second sheet of puff pastry and cut it into 3 horizontal sections, then cut only the first two strips into 4 parts each, leaving one whole to serve as the “border” of the stocking.
Stuff the small pieces with a bit of cooked ham and cheese, close and form balls like the previous ones, also stuff the whole strip and fold it in half, sealing the edges well.
Now assemble the savory Befana stocking: start from the top part, creating the “border” with the stuffed strip, folding the ends inward; 1-2 inches per side is perfect.
Place the filled balls under the strip, making 4 rows of 3 balls each, placing them exactly one under the other, then make another two rows of 4 balls each, placing them slightly staggered to create the “tip” of the stocking. Look at the photo for an even clearer idea.
Brush the surface of the savory Befana stocking with some beaten egg, add sesame seeds only on the balls, and bake it in a preheated oven at 390°F for about 30 minutes, until nicely golden.
Notes:
The savory Befana stocking can be kept at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge for a couple of days. You can also prepare it the day before and bake it just before serving. You can customize the filling with the ingredients you prefer. If you wish, you can also use ready-made pizza dough instead of puff pastry.
