Ciarduna - Sicilian Ricotta Filled Dessert

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• Mix for 30 ciarduna:
• 3 3 3 cups - flour
• 250 250 250 grams of sugar
• 200 200 200 grams of Strutto or LARD (strutto = pig fat)
• 2 2 2 teaspoons vanila
• 1 1 1/4 envelope active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 30 30 30 grams (2 tbsp) of Ammonia Baking Powder* (ammonium bicarbonate)
• Homogenized milk, as needed for kneading dough preperation
• crushed almonds (roast in oven whole - chill, and then blend finely) icing sugar (when decorating the tops of the ciarduna's)
• 1 1 1 1 Baker's Ammonia = 1 teaspoon Baking Powder plus 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• or
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/4 tsp baking powder in place of the 1/4 tsp. of BA.
• 1 1 1 tsp baking powder should be used with 1 cup flour.....
• 1 try 1 tbsp baking powder in this recipe
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 tsp baking soda per cup of flour...........
• To 1 1/2 effectiveness, stir 1 tsp. into 1/2 cup of hot water. If it does not bubble, it will not do your cookies any good.
• Homemade Baking Powder

Details

Servings 30
Adapted from italiancook.ca

Preparation

Step 1

Filling: Sieve the ricotta and then whisk in the icing sugar, lemon essence and then add almond dust - mix well and chill.

Dough: Mix flour, sugar, ammonia, vanila and yeast.

Add milk a little at a time until you get the proper consistancy for the dough (consistancy for the dough should not be to hard and not to soft - in the middle). Let the dough rest until it levetates.

The technique for making the hollow body is simply by cutting the end off a broom stick (non dyed or painted), about 8 inches long and rolling the dough around the wood. You can buy the wood object at a specialty ethnic pastry shop supply company.

Put in the oven at 325 degrees until lightly browned to maintain softness and a little cookie type texture. Lightly grease the pan so the pastry does'nt stick or use non stick aluminum paper that is now available at major supermarkets.

Remove from oven and then let cool. (traditionally the dough mix was cooked in oil - I personally don't like that - I like the cookie texture the oven gives)

Add the ricotta mix in the hollow body of the pastry.

For decoration lightly sprinkle icing sugar and bit of almonds.



*Ammonia Baking Powder: (ammonium bicarbonate) This LEAVENER is the precursor of today's baking powder and baking soda. It's still called for in some European baking recipes, mainly for cookies. It can be purchased in drugstores but must be ground to a powder before using. Also known as hartshorn, carbonate of ammonia and powdered baking ammonia.

*Strutto: Lard is fat from a pig. It may or may not be rendered. Fat from beef is referred to as "beef tallow" or "suet".