The Sweet Pizza, or Cream and Sour Cherry Pizza, is a recipe that comes from the Pianura neighborhood of Naples.
❤️A Neapolitan Easter recipe that makes me feel a bit part of this tradition.
➡️It has its roots in ancient Naples, where filled cakes were called “pizza.” In Neapolitan cookbooks between the 1600s and 1800s, the word “pizza” referred to both savory and sweet preparations, rather than pizzerias.
➡️And even the 609 recipe of the Artusi «Pizza alla napoletana» is actually a dessert!
”Pigliarraje no ruotolo de sciore, na mmità de nzogna, n’auta mmità de zuccaro, e 12 ova senza lo ghianco: mpastarraje poco poco chella pasta e farraje le pettole comm’a chelle de coppa, e dinto po nce metteraje le sceroppate, o l’amarene, o lo ghianco mangià, e la farraje cocere comm’a chella rustaca. “
✅Yes, because this pizza is composed of a shortcrust pastry shell made with lard.
➡️Once upon a time, pigs were slaughtered in January, and the lard was ready for the beginning of spring, for Easter.
➡️The dough was prepared on Holy Thursday to then eat the sweet pizza on Sunday and use it as an Easter gift.
🐣And even today, it must be prepared one day in advance to avoid breaking it.
➡️Its filling consists of:
– a layer of dry biscuits soaked in liqueur – I chose Strega
– custard flavored with orange and lemon peels that, along with the eggs, evoke spring.
– syruped sour cherries
Another Neapolitan dessert for festivities, but for Carnival:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, Spring
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 orange (zest)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup lard
- 1 3/4 oz dry biscuits
- to taste liqueur
- 6 tbsp flour
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 quart milk (warm)
- 1 lemon (zest)
- to taste syruped sour cherries
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan 8.5 inch
Steps
Combine the flour with the sugar, grate the lemon and orange zest, add the egg and cold lard.
Work the dough, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Break the biscuits and pour liqueur over them.
Divide the dough in two.
Roll out the first sheet, working it cold, and cover the 8.5 inch baking pan.
Poke holes with a fork.
Spread out the biscuits as the first layer.
In a pot, combine the flour with the sugar and egg yolks, place on the stove, and gradually add the warm milk. Add the lemon zest.
Thicken, cool, remove the lemon zest.
Compose the second layer with the custard, then distribute the sour cherries.
Cover with the second rolled-out dough disk.
Bake in a static oven at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and consume the next day.
If you like, you can decorate with crystal sugar or powdered sugar.
To learn more about pizza in Naples… also mentioned by Artusi.
