Bocconotti Abruzzesi — Pastry Cream-Filled Tarts

Abruzzo

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Origin

Castel Frentano and Lanciano, Chieti province, Abruzzo. The two traditions — cream-filled (Lanciano) and chocolate-filled (Castel Frentano) — represent different villages' Christmas confectionery traditions within a narrow geographic area.

Description

Bocconotti are individual pastry cases (made from a rich short-crust with lard or olive oil) filled with either pastry cream and jam, or a cooked filling of chocolate, almonds, and jam — depending on whether they come from the Lanciano tradition (cream version) or the Castel Frentano tradition (chocolate version). They are the Christmas confection of the Abruzzese interior and represent the most elaborate pastry tradition of the region.

III

The Thread

—Individual pastry cases filled with a cooked filling — the principle of a rich lard-based short crust encasing a sweet filling and baked for a festive occasion runs through southern Italian pastry Neapolitan

—Individual short pastry cases with a cooked cream filling — the concept of a crisp pastry case containing a soft, rich filling is the same; the flavour profiles are entirely different Portuguese

Flavour Context

The lard pastry dissolves on the palate in a way butter pastry does not — lighter, more neutral, allowing the filling to dominate. The Castel Frentano filling (chocolate, almond, cherry jam) is dense and intensely flavoured — bitter chocolate, fruity cherry, roasted almond. The icing sugar provides the only sweetness not in the filling.

Pillars V — VII

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