The Calabrian Sweet Easter Pitte Pies are very delicious treats prepared during the Easter period, representing a festive sign of the recently celebrated Resurrection, which is indispensable on the tables of Vibonese families.
The name (feminine) pitte pies, reflects devotion and religiosity, probably recalling the figures of the three Marys who accompanied Jesus to Calvary.
They are prepared from a shortcrust pastry shell enclosing a soft filling of dried fruits and marmalade, very rich and aromatic, with holes on the surface to reveal the filling, which should be between three to five holes.
This is a typical recipe from Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia, and Crotone, while in Reggio Calabria, similar ingredients are used but shaped into half-moons called “petrali” and prepared during the Christmas period.
The pitte pies also known as nepitelle, shortcrust pastry half-moons contain a delightful filling made of almonds, walnuts, raisins, marmalade, cooked wine, cinnamon, and other ingredients depending on the region, which should be prepared and left to macerate a day before to become more aromatic and rich in flavor.
Years ago, I tasted these sweets at friends’ houses and noticed the strong resemblance with our Christmas sweets, which also contain coffee in the filling, and today, in a revisited form, I have prepared them myself among the many typical Easter sweets.
Some use ammonia instead of baking powder, making the product more crumbly, many use lard instead of butter, and also in the filling, instead of cooked wine, some use marmalade or grape mustard, so you can find many different recipes based on tastes!
Here is my personalized but equally good recipe!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 18 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for Calabrian Sweet Easter Pitte Pies
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 6 oz butter (or lard)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (or ammonia)
- Half orange zest (grated)
- 2 1/2 oz almonds (toasted)
- 1 3/4 oz hazelnuts (toasted)
- 2 3/4 oz dark chocolate
- 1 3/4 oz dried figs
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (or limoncello or other liqueur)
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- Half orange zest (grated)
- Half teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 small egg (for brushing)
- as needed colored sprinkles
Tools
Find the cookie cutters here.
- Stand mixer or hand bowl
- Rolling pin
- Round cutter
- Parchment paper
- Brush
- Baking sheet
- Oven
Preparation for Calabrian Sweet Easter Pitte Pies
To prepare the pitte pies start with the filling which is prepared the day before and then stored in the fridge.
Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in the oven for a few minutes and chop the figs and dark chocolate into pieces.
With a mixer or blender, give a quick blend to the almonds, hazelnuts, and figs, coarsely grinding them.Pour the dried fruits with figs and chocolate into a bowl, add the cinnamon, the orange marmalade, grated zest, and the juice of half an orange and the liqueur, mix everything well, cover and leave to rest for a day in the fridge.
The next day, 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 bowl of the stand mixer or a hand bowl, put the sugar with the eggs, work the ingredients for a few minutes using speed 2, add the butter in slightly softened pieces and the grated orange zest.
Work further, then add the sifted flour and baking powder.
Work the dough quickly and blend the ingredients well. Pour it onto a work surface, compact the dough by hand, form a ball and put it in the fridge to rest for about 15-20 minutes.Remove the pastry from the fridge with the help of a rolling pin roll it out on a sheet of parchment paper, into a disc about 3/8 inch thick.
With a round cutter that you can buy here cut out many circles, place half of the whole circles on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, fill with a teaspoon of filling and then cover with the other circle holed with one or more holes using a nozzle.Continue like this until the dough is used up, seal the edges well, and then press with the tines of a fork.
Brush the surface well with beaten egg, sprinkle with colored sprinkles, and transfer the tray to the oven.Bake the pitte pies in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
The cooking time depends on your oven’s power; when they are golden brown, remove them from the oven and let them cool before serving.
Also try this typical Calabrian Easter recipe “Cudduraci”
Anna recommends…
For this recipe, you can also use grape jam, nuts, and raisins!
The pitte pies can be stored for several days in a box or under a bell jar; the filling keeps them soft for days.
For other Easter recipes click here.
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