THE DARING BAKERS NOVEMBER, 2013

CHALLENGE: SFOGLIATELLE... AN ITALIAN TAIL, THREE WAYS

I am going to start by saying that I never liked pot pies. But keep in mind, Ive only seen those crumbly gross looking
frozen pot pies that my husband buys.. ew. My mother never made them and we never ate them.. they werent
something my Italian father ever requested. Besides, my mom only made crust from scratch once a year
Thanksgiving. Her pies were always THE BOMB, but she couldnt be bothered with it any other time of the year
therefore Ive never really made a pie crust from scratch, never ate a savory pie and never had the inclination to try it.
Until this past month. I made the crust for the Mediterranean pot pie. But I added a bit of garlic paste to the dough
along with some oregano and basil. Turned out beautiful and very fragrant. Then I filled my pie with Spaghetti! I
made spags, coated them lightly with my sauce, and layered it in the pie with Fontina cheese, and a mixture of sauce,
ground beef, mushrooms, black olives, roasted red peppers and Locatelli Romano. The filling ended up looking, to
me, pretty saucy so I wasnt sure if my pie would turn out soggy.. but after the bake it looked amazing and let me tell
you, the taste was phenomenal! I have a feeling had my father tasted this pot pie, he would have asked for it often. ;)
So.. long story short (too late!) thank you Hannah!! Thanks for pushing me to get over my dislike of pot pies, to get
a lil creative in thinking of a way to create my own pot pie and for just being wonderful. :) You always amaze me
with your cooking! And Id also like to thank lil Juniper (is that like the BEST name for a baby girl or what??) for not
making her mommy sick at the thought of savory food, like she did with sweets! You were an amazing host, we all
thank you for your support and creativity in bringing this challenge to us! I hope yall can stop by Hannahs blog, Rise
and Shine, and give her some good old comment love. :)
Now for this months challenge.. you are going to be blown away ladies and gents. Seriously BLOWN AWAY. I have
been DYING for this challenge to get here! Enjoy!
Hugs,
Lis
xoxo

Hi everyone, my name is Sandie and I will be your hostess this month. My blog is Crumbs of Love
and I have been a Daring Baker since 2009. I find cooking and baking very relaxing (mostly!) and I
love testing, and improving, my abilities. I have a deep fondness for sugar crafting and cake
decorating but truly love all aspects of baking. For this month's challenge I have chosen the gorgeous
Neapolitan pastry, sfogliatelle (pronounced, sfoel ya telli and sometimes called lobster tails). You
might recognize them as the clam-shaped pastry with hundreds of layers. They are filled with a
semolina and ricotta mixture with added candied orange peel and a touch of cinnamon. These
pastries are served hot straight out of the oven (although I have eaten my fair share of room
temperature ones).
Here is a very interesting article on the history of this beloved pastry.
1

I wanted to choose something that would be a challenge; not only to you but for me as well. And I
was right on point. I won't lie to you, the first two times I made these it was a disaster. The third time
was the charm and now they almost seem easy to make. The sfogliatelle ricci can be made over a
period of days, if this makes it easier for you. I tend to like to make things in stages myself but you
could also make this over the course of a long day. Keep in mind that you must chill the dough at
various points before baking.
There are two main Italian versions of sfogliatelle. The first is sfogliatelle ricci (or Napoletane) and
this is the crispy multilayered version. The second is sfogliatelle frolle, a tender almost cakey version
covered in a soft pie crust-like shell.
The American version goes by the name lobster tail and is a larger shell filled with a creme
diplomat (pastry cream mixed with whipped cream) after it is baked. The dough is the same as Ricci
but a dollop of pate a choux pastry is placed in the center of the shell before baking. This puffs up the
core of the shell so that you can pipe in the creamy filling afterwards. It is in one word, divine. I hope
you enjoy these. Bake On my friends!
Recipe Source: The pastry dough recipe is from Great Italian Desserts by Nick Malgieri. Unfortunately
this book is out of print but you can still find used copies online or if youre lucky, your local library.
The Ricotta Cheese recipe is from Luscious Creamy Desserts by Lori Longbotham. The method for
making the lobster tails is from the Cake Boss You Tube video. The Pastry cream recipe is from
Martha Stewart (but feel free to use any pastry cream recipe)
Blog-checking lines: Sandie of the lovely blog, Crumbs of Love, was our November hostess. Sandie
challenged us to make a traditional Italian dessert, along with its American version Sfogliatelle (or
better known in the US lobster tails!) The flakey, 1000 layers of super thin dough, shaped into a
horn and filled with a scrumptious filling. Cos buono!
Posting Date: November 27, 2013
Note: Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/ricotta-cheese-substitutevegan-gluten-free-447217
http://cassidyscraveablecreations.com/2012/09/ricotta-cheese-dairy-soy-nut-free.html
Mandatory Items: I am providing recipes for; homemade ricotta cheese (so easy and so delicious),
candied orange peel, sfogliatelle ricci and frolle dough. You must make the homemade cheese or the
candied peel and at least one version of the sfogliatelle.
Variations allowed: Please experiment with filling flavors. I think chocolate ricotta with finely
chopped pears would be lovely...The filling provided for the American Lobster Tail is a diplomat
cream but I personally love marscapone mixed with whipped cream. Again, amaze and inspire me.
While I believe that the ricci version can only be made using a pasta roller, I hope that many out there
will prove me wrong! Just roll it out as thin as possible before stretching the dough.

Preparation time: Ricotta cheese: about 20 minutes in the pot (this includes just bringing it to a boil)
and about one hour to drain
Semolina filling: 5 minutes to make plus about 2 hours to chill
Ricci Dough: 4 minutes to make the dough, 10 minutes to condition the dough in the pasta roller (or
kneading), 2 hours chilling, 35 minutes to roll the dough, 2 hours additional chilling
Frolle dough: 5 minutes to make, 1 hour to chill
Pastry cream: 10 minutes to make, 2 hours to chill
Lobster tail: same dough as ricci but you will need another 10 minutes to prepare the pate a choux
Equipment required:
Pasta machine to roll out the dough (this is for the Ricce and Lobster Tail.*Please prove me
wrong!
Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments or hand held mixer. You can make the dough
in a bowl with a wooden spoon. If you choose to make the French Cream for the lobster tail
you can whip the heavy cream by hand with a whisk
Food processor (optional)
Whisk
Rolling pin
Grater for lemon and orange zest
Large pot to make the cheese
Large glass or ceramic bowl
Large strainer/colander
Cheesecloth (I have used paper coffee liners as well)
Medium saucepan for semolina
Small bowl for butter/shortening mixture
Saucepan for pastry cream
Bowl for Pastry cream
Pastry Brush
Plastic wrap/cling film
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Cutting board
Rolling pin
1/2-inch (15 mm) round pastry tip
Cooling rack

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

Servings: Makes 2 cups

Ingredients)
8 cups (2 litres) whole milk (or goats milk)
1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream (about 35%)
1/2 teaspoon (3 gm) salt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
1.

2.

Line a large colander or strainer with 2 layers of

lightly dampened cheesecloth over a large glass;
set aside.
Pour the whole milk, heavy cream and salt into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium
heat, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat, add the fresh lemon juice and stir/whisk
continuously for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will curdle, which is exactly what you want it to do.
Pour this into the cheesecloth lined strainer and let it drain for about 1 hour or until it comes to
room temperature. At this point you can scrape the ricotta from the cheesecloth into a
container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
3. The liquid in the bowl is the whey, a very
nutritious and tasty leftover byproduct from
making cheese. It is excellent to use instead of
water when baking bread, or added to soup stock.
I love the stuff and never discard it. Here is an
excellent article on the wonders of whey!

How to make candied orange peel

Semolina-Ricotta Filling
This recipe is used for both the Ricci and the Frolle versions

Ingredients
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) fine semolina or cream of wheat (I have tried both and personally
like the semolina version)
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) (13-1/4 oz) (375 gm) whole milk ricotta, preferably fresh (see above)
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract (or the seeds of one pod and 1 teaspoon of extract)
1/4 teaspoon (1 gm) ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 oz) (60 gm) candied orange peel (commercial or home-made)
zest of 1 lemon
Combine the milk and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and
slowly add the semolina (or cream of wheat), whisking quickly as to avoid any lumps. Cook, stirring
often, until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Spread the mixture onto a lined baking
sheet, about 1/2 inch (15 mm), to cool. When cool, break into pieces and place into the bowl of your
stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or a food processor), and add the ricotta cheese, egg
yolks, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until very smooth and creamy. Stir in the candied orange peel and
lemon zest. (Maybe even some mini chocolate chips? Or pistachios?? mmmm...I can't wait to see
what you come up with)
Scrape into a container, place plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until needed (up
to 3 days).

Sfogliatelle Ricci
Servings: 14-18 pastries
You will need a large/long workspace for this. I used my
dining room table for this though I am sure someone will
be more creative with limited space!

Dough
3 cups (750 ml) (15 oz) (420 gm) all-purpose
(plain) flour
1 teaspoon (6 gm) salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) warm water (about 100F/38C)
4 oz (115 gm) lard (I used Crisco butter flavored shortening)
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz) (115 gm) unsalted butter, softened
Semolina-ricotta filling (see above)
1. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir in the water, or use your standing

mixer with the paddle attachment. The dough

will be very dry. If you feel absolutely
compelled, add an extra teaspoon of water but it
is supposed to be very dry. Turn this out onto a
clean work surface and knead the dough
together, bringing in all the dry bits. At this point
get your pasta roller out and ready. Roll out the
dough to about 1/3 inch (10 mm) and pass
through your pasta machine at the widest setting.
I find it much easier to cut my dough in half and
work 1/2 at a time for this step. Fold the dough in
half after each pass also change the direction of
the dough occasionally. After about 15 passes the
dough should be very smooth. Knead the dough back into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate and rest the dough for at 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Beat the lard/shortening and butter together in your mixing bowl until very fluffy. Make sure

it is thoroughly combined. Place into a bowl and set on the workspace in easy reaching
distance.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it
into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough
at a time (cover the other pieces with a towel or plastic
wrap), lightly flour a piece pass it through the pasta
roller set at the widest setting. Try to get the dough as
even as possible, your goal is an even rectangle strip,
about 4 inches (10 cm) in width. If needed, fold it over
on itself a few times until you get an even strip. Once
even, pass the dough through every setting, ending
with the highest (mine is 7)
6

4. You should end up with a long 4 inch (10 cm) wide strip. Repeat with the other three

remaining pieces of dough.

5. *For my own ease of use I made my own rolling pin contraption like you can see on many instructional

videos. I turned 2 bowls upside down and placed them on my table where I was planning to work. I then
took a rolling pin (with handles, not French) and taped the handles to the bowls. Every time that a piece
of dough is finished and ready I lightly floured
the dough and rolled it up onto the rolling pin.
When all 4 pieces of dough were finished it
made it much easier to pull out a section at a
time to stretch the dough. If you are clumsy like
me you might like to try this too!
6. Place one piece of a strip on you clean
work surface and paint (or smear) it
liberally with the lard/butter mixture. I do
about a 8 inch (20 cm) section at a time.
Gently pull the sides of the dough and
stretch it, starting from the middle and
going out, until it is about 8 or 9 inches (20
or 23 cm) in width. Begin from the short
end and start rolling the dough into a very
tight roll. When you start to reach the end of your stretched section, stop and liberally grease
up another section, stretching and rolling until all the dough is finished. When one strip of
dough is finished, overlap the end of one to the beginning of the other; continue to pull, stretch
and roll up.
7. Spread the lard/butter mixture over the entire finished log and starting in the middle gently
run the hands down the length to extend the
length another inch (30 mm) or so. This will
release any air pockets and tighten the roll. Your
finished roll should be approximately 10 or 11
inches (25 or 28 cm).
8. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours
or overnight. The dough may be frozen for up to 3
months, at this time. Defrost it in the refrigerator
overnight before using.

9. Preheat your oven to moderately hot 400F/200C/gas

mark 6
10. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
11. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place
on a cutting board. Slice off about an inch (30 mm) from
each end so that they are straight and even. Cut the roll into
1/2 inch (15 mm) slices. Put the semolina-ricotta mixture
into a pastry bag with a 3/4 inch (20 mm) opening (A
disposable pastry bag or even a ziploc bag with the corner
cut off is fine).

12. Take one slice of dough and place it on your workplace. With the heel of
your hand, push out from the center in one direction. Rotate the dough
and do this in all four directions. This forms the dough and opens up the
layers. Pick up the piece and insert your thumbs on the inside with your
forefingers on the outside meanwhile gently stretch the center to make it
more into the shape of a cone. You don't want the layers to actually
separate. Holding the cone in one hand, squeeze some of the filling into
the cavity so it is full. Lightly push the opening closed. You do not have to
seal the opening as the filling is too thick to ooze out during baking.
13. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and very lightly brush the outside of
each completed pastry with the lard/butter mixture. Bake them in a preheated moderately hot 400F/200C/gas
mark 6 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown.
14. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. These are best served warm with a sprinkling of confectioners sugar
on the day they are made. To reheat them, just place them in a moderate 350F/180C/gas mark 4 oven for about
5 minutes.

Sfogliatelle Frolle
Servings: 12 pastries

This is a tender pastries, made with dough similar to pie crust |(and much easier
to make). Some of my friends preferred these to the crispy sfogliatelle.

Dough
2 1/3 cups (560 ml) (11-1/2 oz) (325 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2-2/3 oz)(75 gm) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon (3/4 gm) salt
8 tablespoons (4 oz) (115 gm) unsalted butter, cold
2 large eggs, beaten
Filling
See sfogliatelle ricci
Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg
pinch salt
1. By hand: combine the flour, sugar and salt in a

mixing bowl. Remove the butter from the fridge

and pound it a few times with a rolling pin to
make it pliable. Add it to the flour and start
rubbing it into the flour mixture with your
fingertips, working from the bottom of the bowl
upwards. Work quickly so the butter doesn't get
warm from your hands. This only takes a minute
or two to complete. Add the eggs and stir into the
dough with a fork until it starts to hold together. Empty it out onto your workspace and knead
it a few times. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill until firm. The dough can be made
up to 3 days in advance.
2. Prepare the filling and chill it. Whisk the egg yolk, egg and salt together for the egg wash.
3. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 5 inch (12-1/2 cm) rectangle . Place
a hefty tablespoon amount of filling on the lower half of the dough and pull the top half over
this. Use your hands to press down
around the filling and seal the edges
together (like making ravioli). Use a 3
inch (75 mm) round cookie cutter (or
glass) and cut away any excess dough.

4. Place the formed frolle on a prepared baking sheet and

chill for 2 hours

5. Preheat your oven to moderately hot 375F/190C/gas

mark 5
6. Brush the frolle with the egg wash and bake
approximately 20 minutes, just until the frolle are
baked through.
7. Cool briefly on a rack.
And finally, last but not least.....

10

American Lobster Tails

servings: 12 pastries

You need to prepare (and roll) a batch of the Sfogliatelle Ricci

dough. Refrigerate until firm.

Pastry Cream
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) (4 oz) (115 gm) granulate sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1/8 teaspoon (3/4 gm) salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (60 ml) (1 oz) (30 gm) corn starch
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz) (30 gm) butter
1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Cook

over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk
together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly
pour about 1/2 cup of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until
it has been incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat,
whisking constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove
and discard vanilla bean. Remove from the heat and add the butter, whisking constantly until
the butter melts completely and is thoroughly blended into the mixture. Transfer to a bowl,
cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a
skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
2. Preheat your oven to moderately hot 400F/200C/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with

parchment paper
3. When you are ready to bake, prepare the pate a choux:

11

Pate a Choux (this a HALF batch )

3/8 cup (90 ml) water (this is half of a 3/4 cup)
3 tablespoons (45 m) (1-1/2 oz) (45 gm) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon (3/4 gm) salt
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (1/3 oz) (10 gm) sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) (2-1/2 oz) (70 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 large eggs
1. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir

2.
3.
4.
5.

6.

occasionally. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat and add the flour, stirring to combine
completely.
Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull
away from the sides of the pan (this will happen very quickly).
Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.
Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny. As you stir, the batter will become drylooking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.
At this point add the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the egg. I use my
KitchenAide standing mixer for this, but its just
as easy to do this by hand (Im just lazy).
Spoon into a disposable pastry bag. You do not
a tip for this, you can just cut a 1/2 inch (15 mm)
opening across the bottom when you are ready
to fill your lobster tail pastry.

7. Watch this little video....

8. Take your prepared sfogliatelle Ricci dough out

of the fridge and cut it into 1-inch (25 mm) thick

slices. Press down on all four sides just like you
were making sfogliatelle ricci (you are, just
making a bigger version). Pipe in the pate a choux paste until it is about three quarters full.
Gently close the opening (there is no need to seal it shut) and place it on your prepared baking
sheet. Repeat until all of your Ricci dough is finished (You should get about 11 or 12 pastries).
Lightly brush the outside of the lobster tail with the lard/butter mixture and bake in a
preheated oven moderately hot 400F/200C/gas mark 6 for about 20-25 minutes or until a
deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

12

Diplomat cream
1 batch pastry cream
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
I like a 2:1 ratio of pastry cream to whipped cream but you might
like a 1:1 ratio. I would whip 1 cup of heavy cream and start by
only adding half of it to the pastry cream. Do you like the texture?
Maybe you want it a little lighter... Either way, you decide what you
like.

1. Fold the whipped cream into the cold pastry

cream. Transfer it into a pastry bag fitted

with a 1/2-inch (15 mm) round tip and
insert it into the wide end of a lobster tail.
Squeeze in as much filling as you can get
into it (the more the better!). These should be
eaten the day they are filled (this won't be a problem I assure you).

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:

The rolled dough for the Ricci and Lobster tails can be frozen for up to a month. When ready to use
thaw overnight it in the refrigerator and then proceed with the recipe. The baked lobster tail shell can
be frozen for up to one month before thawing and filling with the diplomat cream . While all three
versions are best eaten on the day they are made, I can safely say that the ricci and frollo versions can
be stored for a day in the fridge and then reheated in the oven before serving. the lobster tails should
be filled the day they are served.

13

Additional Information:
Dairy Free Ricotta Cheese: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/ricotta-cheese-substitute-vegan-gluten-free447217
http://cassidyscraveablecreations.com/2012/09/ricotta-cheese-dairy-soy-nut-free.html

Disclaimer:
The Daring Kitchen and its members in no way suggest we are medical professionals and therefore are NOT responsible for any error
in reporting of alternate baking/cooking. If you have issues with digesting gluten, then it is YOUR responsibility to research the
ingredient before using it. If you have allergies, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe will not adversely
affect you. If you are lactose intolerant, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe will not adversely affect you.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe will not adversely affect you. The
responsibility is YOURS regardless of what health issue youre dealing with. Please consult your physician with any questions before
using an ingredient you are not familiar with. Thank you! :)

14