“Mouthfuls” from Abruzzo

Name: “Mouthfuls” from Abruzzo (Bocconotti Abruzzesi)
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: Cinnamon sugar or cinnamon confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling; Grated zest of 1 orange or lemon; Grated zest of 1 orange or lemon; ⅔ cup sweet Marsala, Vin Santo or sweet sherry, or as needed; Pinch ground cinnamon; ⅔ cup sweet Marsala, Vin Santo or sweet sherry, or as needed; ⅔ cup sweet Marsala, Vin Santo or sweet sherry, or as needed; Cinnamon sugar or cinnamon confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling; Cinnamon sugar or cinnamon confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling; ½ cup sugar; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs; ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1 cup (about 6½ ounces) whole almonds, skins on; Cold water, if needed; ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; ⅓ cup sugar

Bocconotti Abruzzesi

Preparation info

Makes about
12
pastries

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Home Desserts

By Richard Sax

Published 1994

About

Bocconotti (“mouthfuls”) were a specialty of my grandmother,” explains Abruzzo native Anna Teresa Callen, author of several cookbooks. The nut-and-wine-filled pastry is traditionally baked in a tallish fluted mold similar to a brioche mold. You can bake the pastries in brioche molds or in a muffin tin.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup</

Europe
Italy
Pastry
Dessert
Vegetarian

Method

DOUGH: In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Add the eggs and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough into a ball (adjust the consistency if necessary, adding a little cold water if the dough is dry, or sprinkling it with a little more flour if it is too sticky). Press into a disk, wrap in plastic or wax pape