The delicious jam-filled pastries
A HEALTHY AND TASTY DESSERT THAT NEVER FAILS ON MODENESE TABLES
Delicious jam-filled pastries, classics of the Christmas and Carnival period but, in truth, perfect at any time of year. Sweet tortelli are in fact the sweet version of a great classic of typical Emilia-Romagna cuisine. Caskets of dough baked in the oven and filled with jam, they smell of tradition and evoke memories of winter, the warmth of home and holidays. Arranged on trays and covered with icing sugar, they are perfect to serve to guests, to cheer up snacks in company, perhaps accompanied by a good cup of tea or coffee.
SWEET TORTELLI, YESTERDAY AND TODAY
The origins of this recipe seem to be very ancient, apparently dating back to the culinary tradition of the Renaissance, characterised by the combination of sour and sweet. There is no single version of this dessert, which is widespread in different regions of Italy, but as is often the case with typical dishes, secrets, tricks, or simply sometimes recipes are handed down based on what is in the larder. And this is precisely the case with sweet tortelli: the filling, as our rezdore say, is made with what is available, usually plum or sour cherry jam. At Christmas here in Maranello we bake them in the oven and while still steaming, we dip them in alchermes and then coat them with semolina sugar before bringing them to the table. When the hustle and bustle of modern times allows us to do so, we even prepare them a week before serving, so that, thanks to the moisture of the jam, they reach a perfect, soft consistency.
THE RECIPE OF SWEET TORTELLI ACCORDING TO THE REZDORE
Ingredients
- 400 g Type 0 flour
- 120 g sugar
- 100 g butter
- 2 eggs
- Half a sachet of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Sassolino liqueur
- 50 g milk
- Lemon zest
- Salt
- Sugar for decoration
- Jam for the filling
Method
Pour the flour onto a pastry board or into a bowl in the classic fountain shape, together with the sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Pour in the centre the eggs, the softened butter at room temperature, the grated lemon zest and, lastly, add the milk and the Sassolino liqueur, just enough to mix. Knead until you obtain a soft and homogeneous, somewhat sticky consistency.
Let it rest for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, about 3 mm thick. Starting from the top, place mounds of jam along the entire length, fold and cut with a glass. Transfer the tortelli to a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with egg yolk. Bake in a static oven preheated to 180° for about twenty minutes.
We would like to thank the Comitato Maranello Tipico and the Ortinsieme Association of Maranello for their valuable help in reproducing the dishes.
