Serves a Crowd

Pasticiotti

by:
June 12, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Makes 18
Author Notes

Pasticiotti is an Italian pastry, it's a pastry crust baked in a pustie tin filled with either chocolate or vanilla filling, similar to a pudding. I grew up eating these and always looked forward to my Father bringing home a big box from the local bakery. For years I have gone to Court Street bakery in Brooklyn when I want an Italian pastry, they have been around for over half a century and the pastries are delicious and as close to my childhood memories as I have found. I wanted to try and make my own so I asked my Mother if she had a recipe, she did, it is a very old recipe from my Aunt Dee, Mom said that the recipe was handed down from my Great Grandmother. It was in Italian and measurements were not exact and I am sure it was not originally written using cups, teaspoons and tablespoons. My Aunt who was a great cook took this recipe and made it her own. I was a bit nervous making it, having never tried my hand at anything like this before, it was surprisingly easy and turned out absolutely delicious. The first time I made these I used tartlet pans and they turned out fine. Since then I have purchased pustie tins and they come out even better, I think its because of the shape of the tin, the pudding is heavy and the crust delicate and the tins are smaller at the bottom becoming larger at the top similar to a brioche mold. You will notice an extract called fiori di sicilia used in this recipe, it has a flowery, citrusy taste and is used in many Italian pastries. You can find it at Bakers Catalog (King Arthur Flour) you can also add a little orange zest instead. If you do plan to make these invest in pustie tins, they are inexpensive and worth having even if you only make these every now and then. —sdebrango

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Ingredients
  • The pastry crust
  • 4 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 2 cups Light brown Sugar (Not packed)
  • 8 ounces (1 cup) Lard cold (highly recommend leaf lard)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/4 cup Cold whole Milk
  • Egg wash, Beat one egg with a teaspoon of sugar to brush on the pastry before baking
  • Making the flling and the pasticiotti
  • Vanilla filling
  • 1/3 cup Flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 2 cups milk or water (original recipe used water)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia (Optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • Chocolate filling
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 cups Warm Milk or water
  • 2 egg yolks beaten
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia (optional)
Directions
  1. The pastry crust
  2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl add the flour, brown sugar,baking powder, and salt, whisk to combine making sure any clumps of brown sugar are incorporated.
  3. In measuring cup add the milk and eggs, beat together then add the vanilla and stir to incorporate
  4. Measure or weigh your lard or shortening/butter and add to dry ingredients, use a pastry cutter to cut the lard into the flour mixture it should resemble crumbs. Add the milk, egg and vanilla and with a fork combine. Working quickly gather the dough into a cohesive disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  1. Making the flling and the pasticiotti
  2. For the chocolate filling in medium saucepan add flour,chocolate, sugar, a pinch of salt and whisk to combine. While whisking add the warm milk and keep whisking until its combined and there are no lumps. Turn flame to medium and whisking constantly cook until mixture thickens, add about 1 cup of hot mixture to beaten egg yolks and add back to saucepan. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until it becomes very thick. It takes a while for the filling to become thick, keep stirring, its a good workout. Once the filling is very thick remove from heat stir in the vanilla, place some plastic wrap directly on the filling and let cool on counter until room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cool. NOTE: the original recipe for the chocolate filling uses water instead of milk. I like using milk rather than water but you can do either. I also like to make the pastry and filling the day before and refrigerate both overnight.
  3. For the Vanilla filling: Place flour, sugar and pinch of salt in saucepan add milk and whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. Turn flame on medium and cook whisking constantly. When hot and slightly thick add approximately half of filling to beaten egg yolks add back to saucepan and continue cooking until mixture is thick. Add vanilla and butter, place plastic wrap directly on the filling and let come to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cooled. If adding Fiori di Sicilia add at the end when you add the vanilla.
  4. Flour work surface,Cut dough in half one half will be bottom crust the other top crust, place half of dough back in refrigerator while working. Have your pustie tins or fluted tartlet pans ready.Either roll or press the dough into the pans it should be approximately 1/4 in thick. When you have put the dough in the tins, place in refrigerator while you roll out the dough for the tops, the dough should be about 1/4 in thick and cut into rounds that fit the top of the tin. Take tins from refrigerator fill with the chocolate or vanilla filling just slightly below the top of the tin. Place the top on, press together making sure the bottom crust and top crust are joined trim any excess dough. Brush with egg wash and place in refrigerator for a few minutes just to get the pastry cold. Remove from the refrigerator, place tins on baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven place on cooling rack and let sit at room temperature for 45 min to an hour or until COMPLETELY COOLED. Gently remove from the tins and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight covered with plastic wrap.

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I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, am self taught learning as I go. I come from a large Italian family and food was at the center of almost every gathering. My grandfather made his own wine and I remember the barrels of wine in the cellar of my grandfathers home, I watched my mother and aunts making homemade pasta and remember how wonderful it was to sit down to a truly amazing dinner. Cooking for me is a way to express myself its my creative outlet. I enjoy making all types of food but especially enjoy baking, I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I share my home with my two dogs Izzy and Nando. I like to collect cookbooks and scour magazines and newspapers for recipes. I hope one day to organize them.

17 Reviews

luvcookbooks December 12, 2014
I always wondered what to do withthe Fiori de Sicilia flavoring that I see in Little Italy in the Bronx. When I make the recipe, I will know where to get the flavoring. It sounds so delicious that I would not want to leave any ingredient out!! Thank you for posting!
Midge December 9, 2014
So happy to see your recipe for these Suzanne. I spent some time in Lecce this fall and ate pastichiotto every chance I got. I've been looking for the traditional oval molds they use there but haven't much luck. Your fluted version looks lovely.
Midge December 19, 2014
Thanks Suzanne! I'll check it out.
Lori July 14, 2014
I recently spent a week in Lecce, Italy in Puglia where they take credit for the original pastichiotta. Being a native of Utica and a fan of the Florentine Pastry Shop, I compared Lecce's version to the Florentine's. Lecce's had a lighter, crispier pastry which I actually prefer. I'll try your recipe and then research some others and see if I can't come close to the Lecce version. Always nice to hear of other Uticans in the world! Ciao!
JoAnne November 11, 2023
My family is from Rome, NY and I’ve heard about the Florentine bakery my whole life. I’ve only been once. Fantastic baked goods.
sdebrango November 11, 2023
The bakery is still open, I often wonder if it’s the same quality as when I was a child. They were so good. Every Saturday my father would take me there early in the morning for glazed doughnuts still warm. So good!!
Lisa March 24, 2014
I just used your recipe and I have to say I found it confusing. You call for two eggs in the ingredient list, but then indicate that one be beaten with sugar to brush on. In the text, you don't use eggs (plural), so at first my dough was too dry with only the one egg, until I added the second egg. Also, you do not indicate salt in the ingredient list at all, so how does one know how much salt to use?
Rick L. September 13, 2013
my greetings to you all in wherever, i have had this recipe for the pasti chiotti since 1978 or 9. i used to send for them to be delivered to me in san antonio,tx at that time. finally when i visited the bakery for the first time in utica, while attending a 4 day culinary event called a "wedding" italian style, the bakery graciously gave to me the recipe and proper fluted tins in which to be prepared. my recipe is for the deeeeep dark chocolate recipe. i and not sure which bakery it was. does anyone of the blog group know the family of the deceased William J. Zito, with his sister being Sheila , of the los angeles area?
rick K. April 7, 2013
I have gone to the florentine bakery every good friday for the past 15 years. I buy 12 pastis and 12 cannolis every time. Then I go to the pulaski meat market on lenox and buy 25 kobasas.
Phyllis D. March 12, 2013
Darn, I don't do twitter...how can we connect without putting our personal information on here for "all to see?" LOL
Phyllis D. March 12, 2013
Well, I'll be!! I just had a feeling that by some odd coincidence that you might have been related to him. We used to chat about Utica and all the goodies at the Florentine Bakery. Yes, it would be something if we were realated! I don't know if you do Facebook, but if so I am on there.


Phyllis D. March 12, 2013
My relatives in Utica were the Macrino family. She is the 96 year old cousin I mentioned. We were from Herkimer originally. My husband had a physical therapist after knee surgery in 2005 and the man's last name was Debrango and he was originally from Utica. I think he lived in Chesapeake Va at the time. We were in Virginia Beach, Va at the time. Any relation? How great that you got to meet an unknown cousin while shopping for your daughter's wedding gown. Ironically, my step-grandson's fianace just went to Kleinfeld's and bought her wedding gown about a month ago. More coincidences!!! This is fun!!
Phyllis D. March 10, 2013
sdebrango...Was thrilled to read your comment...what a small world we live in. What a wonderful treasure you have there with your recipe handed down from your great-grandmother and also translated from Italian. Thank you so much for sharing and also for your reply.
Phyllis D. March 10, 2013
I was so pleased to find your recipe for the 'pusties.' I have a recipe that my 96 year old cousin from Utica NY gave me and it sounds very close to yours. I will try yours as well. Thank yo so much
boulangere June 12, 2011
OMG, this is as lovely as I had hoped it would be. I'm so happy you had the original framed - brilliant! I'll try it as soon as you post your final results. I can't believe you had so much trouble finding lard, but I am sure most worth the trouble.
Rick L. September 13, 2013
i had a deli in san diego in the early 80's., and i served these wonderful chocolate wonders from the tim forms using a mix of lard , shortning and butter. my origional recipe from utica called for only lard..
Sadassa_Ulna June 12, 2011
I love your headnote and now I want to find some fiori di sicilia . . .