Ingredients for the Sfogliatelle Abruzzesi
- 300 g flour
- 3 egg yolks (~ 40 g)
- 50 g extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g brown sugar
- 50 g white wine
- 50 g water
- To paint the pastry
- extra virgin olive oil
- For the filling
- 200 g grape jam (scrucchiata)
- 60 g toasted almonds
- 30 g dark chocolate
| Preparation Time | 40 mins |
| Resting Time | 4h or more |
| Cooking Time | 15 mins |
| Level | Difficult |
| Yield | 12 Sfogliatelle |
Christmas is coming, a time when all family traditions are rekindled. In Abruzzo, in the province of Teramo in particular, there is one recipe which has been handed down from generation to generation: Christmas sfogliatelle. Similar in shape to the more notorious pastries from Naples, Abruzzo sfogliatelle are prepared with abundant lard, and are filled with traditional regional Montepulciano grape jam called scrucchiata.
We prepared the sfogliatelle without lard, replacing it with EVO oil… obviously choosing the right one for this sweet preparation!
The dough and therefore final taste are slightly different from those of the traditional ones, but we are happy to eat a healthy product without animal fats and much less cholesterol and calories than in the traditional recipe 😉
Why not trade a slight difference in taste with more health benefits, especially during the holidays when we eat more, and more high-calorie food! Try our sfogliatella, and let us know what you think of it!
Directions
- Whip the egg yolks and sugar until creamy.
- Add the EVO oil to the batter.
- Stir in the flour, then also add the wine and water slowly, mixing with your hands.
- Divide the dough in portions of ~ 80 g each. Roll them out with the help of a machine, or using a rolling pin. The thinner your dough gets, the flakier the sfogliatella’s final texture.
- Place the first of your dough layers on a floured surface; brush the surface with extra virgin olive oil – be careful not to overdo it, or the dough will result too greasy; however, the EVO oil must cover the entire surface of it in order to make the layers adhere.
- Put a second layer of dough on top of the first one, making it adhere; continue the process up to 5-6 layers.
- Roll up your preparation starting from one of the short ends, wrapping it as tightly as possible.
- Wrap the roll in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours, or put it in the freezer for up to a few days.
- Cut the roll into slices of ~ 1 cm height each.
- Flour your work surface and roll out your slices with a rolling pin to obtain an oval shape (~ 0,4 cm). Do not turn your dough upside down at any moment: keep one side always facing the surface, and the other your rolling pin.
- Prepare the filling – to your taste, you can use only grape jam (which, however, must not be too liquid in texture), or you can mix it with chopped toasted almonds and small dark chocolate chunks.
- Turn the sfogliatelle upside down and fill them with a teaspoon worth of filling.
- Seal each sfogliatella by firmly pressing on the edges with your hands.
- Organize your sfogliatelle on a baking tray lined with some Oil-Absorbing Cooking Paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven: 200 ° C x 15 min.
- Take your Sfoglietelle out of the oven, let them cool and … enjoy it! In Abruzzo it is common to give the sfogliatelle for Christmas!
Discover the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oils we have selected for desserts.