Italian Nut Filled Sticks Sfratti Recipe Epicuriouscom Food

MA'AMOUL (NUT-FILLED COOKIES)

Steps:

• 1. For the dough, place the flour, semolina, margarine, and oil in a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Add the water gradually, pulsing until a soft dough is formed. Cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator.
• 2. For the filling, combine the walnuts with the cinnamon and sugar.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 4. Either use the ma'amoul mold described above or take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut. Roll it into a ball and hollow out the center. Inside, place a heaping teaspoon of walnut filling. With your hands, mold the dough closed.
• Continue with the rest of the dough.
• 5. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. With the tines of a fork or tweezers with a serrated edge, make designs on the top of each cookie, being sure not to penetrate the crust.
• 6. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Do not brown; the cookies should look white. Cool. When hard, roll in confectioners' sugar.

SFRATTI (NUT FILLED COOKIES)

Steps:

• To make the dough:.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Cut in the margarine or butter with a pastry blender until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
• Add the wine and stir and toss with a fork until the mixture just holds together. Remove the dough from the bowl and gather it into a ball(The dough can also be made in a food processor, pulsing it to cut in the butter and processing to bring the dough together).
• Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• To make the filling:.
• Pour the honey into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Bring to a boil, add the cinnamon and cloves, and boil until it forms a ribbon when a spoon is lifted, about 10 minutes. Add the nuts, citrus zests, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool until you can touch the mixture without burning yourself.
• Dust the counter(or chilled pastry board) with bread crumbs(you can substitute flour). Pour the filling onto the board and, using your hands, roll it into 6 long, thin ropes, each 12 to 14 inches long (work quickly as the mixture sets up fast).
• To make the cookies:.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter 1 or 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured board, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
• Roll out each piece into a 4-inch-wide strip that is 12 to 14 inches long.
• Place a strip of nut paste on the center of each piece of dough, and roll up the dough, fully enclosing the nut paste.
• Cut into finger-length cookies and place on the prepared baking sheet(s).
• Brush the sticks with the egg wash glaze. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• These keep well in an air-tight tin.

SWEET ITALIAN NUT ROLL

Steps:

• 1. Add yeast to milk and water. Mix with 3 cups of the flour. Let stand for 1/2 hour. Add the remainder of the flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and salt. Knead until elastic (about 4 minutes). Let rise 2 hours until doubled in bulk.
• 2. Heat the ingredients for the filling together, blend well and let cool.
• 3. When dough is through rising, divide into 5 or 6 equal parts. Let rest on floured board for 15 minutes.
• 4. Roll out in long pieces, as if for jelly roll. Lay down your filling to cover dough completely and roll up.
• 5. Put on greased cookie sheets, seam side down (2-3) per pan; tuck ends under to seal. Let rise again, about 25 minutes.
• 6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• 7. ADDED NOTE: Nuts should be very finely chopped. Best way to achieve this is by using a food processor.

ITALIAN NUT-FILLED "STICKS" (SFRATTI)

Steps:

• To make the pastry: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a little wine over a section of the flour, then mix with a fork to moisten. Push the moistened dough aside and continue adding enough wine until the dough just holds together. Divide in half. Using your fingertips, lightly press and knead into balls. Flatten into discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature until malleable but not soft.
• 2. To make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Be careful, it may foam up. Add the remaining filling ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is cool enough to handle but not set. Pour onto a floured surface, divide into 6 equal portions, and shape the portions into 14-inch-long sticks.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease.
• 4. On a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap or on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle, then cut each rectangle lengthwise into three 14-by-14-inch rectangles. Place a nut strip near a long side of each rectangle and roll up from the filling side. Cut into 2-inch sticks. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between the cookies, and brush with the egg wash.
• 5. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Wrap in aluminum foil until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
• Oil Pastry: Substitute 1/3 cup vegetable oil for the butter and combine it with the wine.