Calcionetti are delicious little pie-dough pastries containing a rich filling of chestnuts, flavored with cinnamon and candied fruit.
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INGREDIENTS |
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Husked chestnuts |
300 |
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g |
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Shelled almonds |
150 |
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g |
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Candied citron |
40 |
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g |
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Sugar |
50 |
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g |
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Orange zest |
1 |
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Cinnamon |
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to taste |
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Dark cocoa powder |
1 |
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level teaspoon |
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White cake flour |
500 |
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g |
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Extra-virgin olive oil |
80 |
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g |
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Dry white wine |
2 |
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teaspoons |
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Frying oil |
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to taste |
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Powdered sugar |
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to taste |
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PREPARATION |
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| 1. |
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Preparing the filling: pre-heat the oven to about 200°C; place the almonds on a baking sheet covered with oven paper and allow them to roast for several minutes, until they have started to brown slightly. Boil the husked and peeled chestnuts; put them through a sieve or chop them in the blender. Also chop the almonds and the orange peel. In a bowl, add the almonds, the chopped orange zest and the citron to the pureed chestnuts, mixing well. To this mixture also add the sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder, continuing to mix until you have a smooth, even batter. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic film and let the filling set for a couple of hours in a cool part of the kitchen or the lowest shelf in the refrigerator. |
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| 2. |
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In the meantime prepare the dough. Pour the flour onto your working surface and form a mound with a bowl-like cavity; put the olive oil into the cavity. Knead until the dough assumes an elastic consistency, then role it out until it is thin. Cut out as many disks with a diameter of 8-10 cm as possible (you can use either a drinking glass or cup with fine edges as a dough cutter); in the center of each disk place a dollop of filling and then fold over and seal the calcionetti into little half-moons, carefully pressing the edges together to make sure they don't open up while cooking. |
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Heat the frying oil in a large pan and when it has reached the boiling stage pop in the calcionetti and fry them until they have turned a nice golden color. Drain the calcionetti well and let them set on some absorbent paper towels for a while so they'll lose all their excess grease. Then dust them with powdered sugar and serve them hot. |
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CHEF'S NOTE |
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The filling found in calcionetti varies from area to area. In certain parts of Abruzzo it is the custom to add ground chic peas. |
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This traditional dessert from the southern region of Abruzzo goes very nicely with a sweet wine, something like a Controguerra Moscato, another fine product of Abruzzo. |
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