Calabrian Bocconotti with Dried Fruit and fig jam are pastries made from a shortcrust pastry shell filled with a rich mixture of almonds, hazelnuts, dried figs, jam, and cinnamon, a contrast between soft and crunchy.
The original recipe for Calabrian bocconotti calls for grape jam or mustard, but I have revised and personalized it, considering the Christmas period to enrich and fill them with something else.
These pastries are known in many parts of southern Italy, the appearance is similar everywhere, but depending on the area, the filling varies.
My version is really very tasty, an explosion of flavors and aromas that will conquer all palates from the first bite.
The bocconotti somewhat resemble the recipe for the Calabrian petrali which are made at Christmas, also richly filled but marinated with liqueur and coffee which I love so much!
We are now in the Christmas mood, a bit more subdued than in other years and even if this will be a more intimate Christmas, I think it will still be celebrated, perhaps paying more attention to the important things life has given us, such as affections and friendships.
Follow the recipe and prepare them a few days in advance, the bocconotti need to rest for the flavors of the ingredients to blend, the pastry softens, and the filling gains more flavor.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6-8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Calabrian Bocconotti with Dried Fruit
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/5 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 orange zest (grated)
- as required powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup almonds
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts
- 3/4 cup dried figs
- 4 tablespoons fig jam (or orange marmalade)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- Molds molds
- 1 Baking Tray
Preparation for Calabrian Bocconotti with Dried Fruit
For the preparation of the bocconotti start with the base, so first prepare the shortcrust pastry.
The dough can be made by hand in a bowl or with a simple kitchen robot or stand mixer.In the container of the stand mixer or the bowl, place the sugar with the slightly softened butter cut into pieces, work the ingredients for a few minutes using speed 2, add the egg, the grated orange zest, and then the sifted flour and baking powder.
Work the dough quickly and mix the ingredients well. Pour it onto a work surface, compact the dough by hand, form a ball, and place in the fridge to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
FILLING
In the meantime, prepare the filling, toast the almonds and hazelnuts in the oven for a few minutes and cut the figs into pieces.
With a food processor or blender, give a chop to the almonds, hazelnuts, and figs, roughly blend them.
Pour the dried fruit with the figs into a bowl, add the cinnamon, the fig jam or if you prefer orange marmalade, mix everything well. Cover and set aside.
Take the pastry out of the fridge with the help of a rolling pin roll it out on a sheet of parchment paper, into a disc about 0.39 inches thick.
Line the molds, fill with the dried fruit mixture and cover with more pastry. Close and seal the edges well.
If you like, you can also make some balls as decoration.BAKING
Bake the bocconotti in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) ventilated for about 20 minutes. Adjust based on your oven’s temperature, remove from the oven when they are golden brown.
Remove from the oven, let cool, and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Tips and Variations
For the bocconotti filling, you can use grape jam as in the original recipe.
The bocconotti should rest at least a day before being eaten.
They keep for many days in a cool place.
Can I add chocolate?
Yes, of course, it enriches the pastry with an extra touch of indulgence!
What if I don’t like figs?
Replace them with dates, dried apricots, raisins, or something else according to your taste.
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