The Calabrian pittapìece (in dialect pii) are a type of traditional dessert from Calabria, particularly prepared during holidays (Christmas, Easter) and on other religious and family occasions.
The name “pittapìece” derives from the term “pitta” which, in Calabrian dialect, indicates a sort of focaccia or cake.
Pittapìece are filled cookies that vary depending on different regional locations. The base element that remains unchanged from one recipe to another is the typical circular shape.
They are mainly made with flour, sugar, lard, and eggs
They can be enriched with cooked must, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and sometimes honey.
Cooked must, which is a sort of concentrated grape syrup, adds a sweet and fruity flavor that is typical of many Calabrian sweet preparations.
Another ingredient that may be added in some variations is red wine.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Easter
Ingredients
- 4 cups g flour
- 2/3 cup g sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp g lard
- 3 eggs
- 7 oz ml cooked must
- 9 oz g raisins
- 3.5 oz g 60-69% dark chocolate
- 1 cup g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cup g walnuts
- 3.5 oz g almonds
- 3 cloves
- to taste cinnamon
- 1 tbsp sugar
Tools
- 1 Cutter with ejector
Steps
Mix the flour with sugar, softened lard, and eggs. After kneading thoroughly, let the dough rest for about half an hour covered with a cloth.
Simmer the cooked must with chopped raisins, dark chocolate, unsweetened cocoa, toasted and chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and a tablespoon of sugar.
Stir until homogeneous.
Roll out the base dough to create circles with a diameter of 2 inches.
On half of them, place a teaspoon of filling, on the others, use a cutter to form three central decorative circles.
Brush the pies with a beaten egg yolk and bake them in the oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is cooked must?
Cooked must is produced by pressing ripe grapes with a higher sugar content than that required for ordinary winemaking (23-25% sugars), and then filtering the resulting juice.
The juice was traditionally cooked in copper cauldrons or terracotta pots; materials now generally replaced by stainless steel.
After reaching a boil, the cooking continues over low heat for several hours, until the liquid is reduced to one-fourth of its original volume.
The product is then aged for up to 24 months.
