Genovesi di Erice a delicious and special dessert. The recipe I want to share with you today is that of a sweet treat of Sicilian origin, more precisely from the town of Erice in the province of Trapani. I learned the story of this dessert from a television show that told the story of Maria Grammatico who made these treats famous worldwide. A woman who learned in a cloistered convent to make special sweets, creating later with her family a pastry shop in her town to spread her traditions and expertise. The name of these sweets seems to derive from the shape of the Genoese sailors’ hats; indeed, trade between Trapani and Genoa was very active at one time. The Genovesi are soft shortcrust pastry treats filled with cream and dusted with plenty of powdered sugar. This dessert originated in the convent of S. Carlo by the cloistered nuns where Maria Grammatico spent 15 years discovering all the secrets of the nuns’ sweets. The recipe I share with you will not be the original one, but I assure you they are delicious, so soft they melt in your mouth with that irresistible filling. I recommend you try them right away and don’t forget to let me know if they have won your heart. So let’s run to the kitchen and prepare the Genovesi from Erice together.
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: For 20-22 treats
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 203.76 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.82 (g) of which sugars 14.49 (g)
- Proteins 4.42 (g)
- Fat 7.94 (g) of which saturated 4.65 (g)of which unsaturated 3.20 (g)
- Fibers 0.56 (g)
- Sodium 8.43 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Sicilian Genovesi
- 1 egg
- 4.41 oz semolina flour
- 4.41 oz all-purpose flour
- 5.29 tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 5 tbsp water (lukewarm)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp potato starch
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 lemon peel (untreated)
- to taste powdered sugar
What you need to prepare the Cream-filled Cookies
- Cookie Cutters
How to prepare the Genovesi with cream
First, prepare the shortcrust pastry. You can make it by hand or with the help of a mixer. Mix the two flours with the butter cut into small pieces and the sugar. Add a whole egg and lukewarm water. Knead well until you have a soft dough; if necessary, add another tablespoon of water.
Form a dough ball, wrap it in cling film, and let the shortcrust pastry rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can also prepare it in advance and store it in the fridge, even the day before.
Meanwhile, prepare the Custard. Heat the milk with the peel of half an untreated lemon in a saucepan. Whip the 2 egg yolks with the sugar until you have a light and frothy mixture.
Add the potato starch to the whipped eggs and mix. Pour the mixture into the saucepan with the boiling milk and, stirring with a whisk, cook. It takes just 1-2 minutes to have a thick and lump-free cream. Remove the lemon peel and transfer it to a bowl. Let it cool.
Take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use a round cutter or simply a glass to cut out many discs from the dough. My cutter measures 2.75 inches in diameter.
Place a generous spoonful of cream in the center of half of the shortcrust pastry discs. Brush water all around and cover with another shortcrust pastry disc. Press all around to seal.
Place the Shortcrust Pastry and Cream Treats slightly apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake the Genovesi with cream in the preheated static oven at 375°F for 14-15 minutes. Let them cool and dust with plenty of powdered sugar.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
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These treats can be stored in a container for 2 days
If you prefer, you can replace the semolina flour with more all-purpose or 00 flour
Also read the recipe for my Almond shortcrust pastry and the recipe for Baci di dama with hazelnuts and chocolate
