Here I am! By popular demand, here is the recipe for jam-filled tortelli that I made a few days ago.
They are cookies filled with jam and closed in a tortello shape. A shape that, I assure you, makes them irresistible. 😉 Your kids will want to eat them with both hands!, right after saying to you: “Mom how beautiful they are!”
And you, proud of yourselves, will make them again the next day, and the day after that. Because, let’s face it, sometimes practice can be useful, especially if you want to make them again… for Father’s Day!! 😀
For Father’s Day for a few years now I’ve made raviole, do you know them? They’re the perfect sweet for us, since in Bologna they’re called raviole di San Giuseppe, and since this dad is from Bologna. 😊
But this year, to avoid repetition, I wanted to try a different shape.
And for the filling I wanted to try both Bolognese mustard and jam, and I must say that this decision was very useful, so I can give you some tips about which jam to use (see note at the end).
Putting special occasions aside, these jam-filled tortelli are great and wholesome filled cookies ideal for breakfast or a snack.
They’re also a nice treat after a meal, perhaps accompanied by a glass of dessert wine.
I find them lovely to look at. Ok, maybe I’m a bit biased saying they’re beautiful, but I really like them; they work well as a special-occasion dessert and as gifts, maybe packaged in a pretty decorated box.
Alright, I won’t keep you — here’s the recipe. At the end I’ll leave some useful clarifications, the result of the various “jam tests” I did over the past few days. 😉
Below I also leave you 3 more recipes dedicated to Father’s Day: 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 30 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 block (about 9 oz) cream shortcrust pastry
- plum jam (or Bolognese mustard)
- lemon zest (grated)
- powdered sugar (for decorating, optional)
Tools
- Cutter square
- Rolling pin
- Grater
- Parchment paper
Steps
Prepare the cream shortcrust pastry by following the recipe.
After a short rest in the fridge, roll out the shortcrust pastry with the rolling pin. I recommend not rolling the pastry too thinly; a certain thickness is useful to properly close the tortelli.
Cut the pastry with a square cookie cutter, or with a pastry wheel. I used the cutter to be sure the squares were all similar.
Place a teaspoon, not heaped, of jam or Bolognese mustard in the center of the pastry square. For the choice of jam see the note at the end. (**)
Whether using plum jam or Bolognese mustard you can add a little grated lemon zest, as is done with raviole.
Fold the pastry square like a handkerchief, proceeding exactly as if you were closing tortellini, or rather large tortelli.
In the following photo sequence I show the four steps:
1) jam 2) fold into a triangle 3) seal the edge 4) overlap the two ends:
Make sure to seal the edges well.
Some tortelli may open slightly during baking even if they were well sealed. This happens because of rising, which tends to lift the pastry. As I explain in the note at the end, the choice of jam can make a difference in these cases. (**)Place the tortelli on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake them in the oven at 338–356°F for 10–15 minutes, watching for browning; as soon as they are lightly colored you can remove them from the oven.
Let them cool before serving, but if you can’t resist I assure you they’re excellent even warm. 😉
Decorate as desired with powdered sugar.
To make these jam-filled tortelli I recommend using the cream shortcrust pastry, which is soft and easy to work with, does not crumble and is well suited to folding into the “handkerchief” shape.
I had the chance to try 3 different types of jam in addition to Bolognese mustard (which is a dense jam, firmer than ordinary jams), and because it is dense and less moist, for me it turned out to be the best: even in cases where the edge of the tortello lifted during baking, the mustard did not leak out, or leaked very little without “messing” the cookie or compromising the final result.
Regarding the other jams I noticed a significant difference between them: the first I tried, peach jam, was a preserve with pieces that completely liquefied during baking and managed to leak out of almost all the cookies, even those that seemed well sealed, oozing even from tiny cracks. The other two jams I tried, berry and chestnut, were both compact and dense when cold, and acted much better in the oven than the peach preserve; although once warmed they softened and did leak from some tortelli, not from all, only from a few.
I have to say, for the sake of truth, that my children love the messy jam-filled cookies (or jelly buns) that have jam oozing out, so at my house this leaking is a non-issue — in fact those messy cookies get eaten first! However, if you intend to gift tortelli free of jam stains, or serve them to guests, in those cases I recommend using the Bolognese mustard or, in any case, a compact high-quality jam whose behavior in baking you already know (you can also test the quality of a jam by baking a simple tart).And to conclude… with any filling you choose, enjoy them!, they are delicious! 🤩
Enjoy!!!
