Ricotta and Cinnamon Puff Pastry Rectangles

La storia di questo piatto

Ricotta di bufala, cannella and a whisper of lemon: the sweet language of Neapolitan pastry shops, here folded into a crisp, golden home-style rectangle. It is a modern, homely nod to that tradition, not a relic of ancient recipes.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Ready-rolled rectangular puff pastry (about 230 g per roll)
• 250 g Buffalo milk ricotta
• 80 g Granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon Grated lemon zest
• 1 piece Whole eggs
• 50 g Candied citron
• 35 g Semolina
• 100 ml Whole milk
• 1 pinch Fine salt

Preparazione

1. Heat the milk with a pinch of salt, pour in the semolina in a steady stream while whisking, and cook over low heat for 3–4 minutes, until it thickens into a firm cream. Let it cool completely. Meanwhile, press the ricotta through a sieve directly into the bowl: this is the secret to a smooth, lump-free cream.
2. Add the cold semolina, sugar, cinnamon and finely grated lemon zest to the ricotta, then gently mix until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Taste it: it should taste of lemon without overpowering the sweet flavor of the ricotta.
3. Using a sharp knife, dice the candied citron into very small cubes and fold it into the cream with gentle bottom-to-top movements. Refrigerate the cream to firm up while you prepare the pastry.
4. Unroll the ready-made puff pastry without rolling it out with a rolling pin, so as not to crush the layers. Cut it into 16 rectangles of about 10x8 cm and arrange them spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pricking them lightly with a fork. Beat the egg with a spoonful of water and lightly brush the surface, using only as much as needed to brown evenly. Cover eight rectangles with a second sheet of parchment paper and a lighter baking tray placed on top halfway through baking, only if they tend to puff up too much.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 12–15 minutes: the pastry will rise and separate into layers, browning at the edges. When it is a bright golden color, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack, so the bottom doesn't go soggy from steam.
6. Once the pastry is cold, assemble the sweet sandwiches: spread or pipe the ricotta cream onto eight rectangles, top them with the other eight and press gently. Alternatively, if the pastry has puffed up a lot, you can carefully slice each rectangle in half horizontally with a serrated knife and fill it. Dust with a light sprinkling of cinnamon and serve at room temperature with a espresso or a small glass of sweet liqueur. These treats are inspired by the flavors of the Neapolitan sfogliatella (ricotta, cinnamon, lemon and citron), in a quick version made with ready-made pastry: they are not a true riccio sfogliatella, which requires hand-rolled dough shaped into a spiral.