SFOGLIATELLA FROLLA: The Easy Neapolitan Dessert

Seeing and tasting this italian delicacy for the first time, I thought that I would never be able to make sfogliatella at home by myself. But at that time I didn’t know that there are various versions of this dessert. I first learned about this Neapolitan sweet goodnes sometime in 2017 when I watched The Italian Escape by a chef Gino D’Acampo. A year later, during our honeymoon across Italy, we could not miss Naples and thus its famous taste bombs like real Neapolitan pizza, mozzarella from Campania, Sfogliatella, and the list could continue all over. Sfogliatella is easy-to make sweet pastry flavored with the aroma of lemons and oranges with ricotta filling. We first tried our sfogliatella in the legendary Scaturchio bakery in Naples. The atmosphere and the smell of coffee there is absolutely unmistakable. Ever since I ate Sfogliatella or Sfogliatella Frolla, I’ve always wanted to try baking it. I never thought that I would say that Sfogliatella is for me – easy to make – neapolitan dessert. There are 2 kinds of this delicacy: one of the layered dough, similar to the puff pastry, and one made of short cut pastry. I decided to prepare the second version today, Sfogliatella Frolla. Absolutely easy Neapolitan Dessert.  Since I brought from Italy not only memories but also a cookbook, this very recipe is an original version of sfogliatella from Naples by Lydia Capasso. I have discovered this book on the instagram shortly before my weekend trip to Naples and I knew immediately what to bring back from this city under the volcano. For my article about neapolitan pizza and my favourite city of Naples, head to my travel section. Pictures and tips on how to spend few days in Naples, Italy is to be found here. Now, let’s prepare the most amaying easy neapolitan dessert SFOGLIATELLA.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cooling Time: 1-2 hours

Baking Time: 18-20min

Portions: 16 pcs

Ingredients:

The dough:

• 250g butter
• 250g sugar
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• lemon and orange zest
• 500g flour 00
• 100g eggs
• 4g ammonia
• 1 egg for brushing

The filling:

• 0,5kg water
• 150g semola
• 7g salt
• 500g ricotta
• 250g sugar
• 100g candied orange
• orange & lemon zest
• cinnamon
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 100g fresh free range eggs

Procedure:

1. Mix the butter with the sugar, ammonia (or baking powder) and other flavourings (lemon zest, candied fruits, etc.), add the eggs and finally the sifted flour.

2. Create a smooth and homogeneous dough and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours.

3. Make the filling: boil the water and salt, pour in the semolina and cook for 3-4 minutes.

4. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Make sure that the semolina is very thick. /Later you will be adding ricotta to it/

5. Mix the semolina obtained with the ricotta, sugar, aromas and candied fruit. Mix well until you get a soft and smooth cream. Add the eggs only at the end.

6. Take the rady shortcrust pastry out of a fridge and make balls of about 60 grams each.

7. With a rolling pin roll out each ball giving it an oval shape, place a generous spoonful of ricotta and semolina filling in the center, fold the ovals together and make the edges adhere.

8. Create a sort of bundle, then with a round pastry cutter with a diameter of 9 cm remove the excess shortcrust pastry.

9. Let the sfogliatelle rest in the refrigerator, for about 1 hour or more.

10. Brush them with a beaten egg and bake them in oven at 220 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden.

Now enjoy this aromatic, orange scented goodness made at home with a cup of coffee or a tea!

Buon Appetito