Make Ahead

Bocconotti (Southern Italian jam pastries)

by:
December  2, 2017
4
1 Ratings
Photo by Emiko
  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Makes about 8
Author Notes

Named after the Italian word for a bite, "boccone", these little pastries are made of sweet shortcrust pastry and filled with jam, custard or ricotta, depending on where you find them in the South. In Puglia's beautfiul Martina Franca area, they are often filled with either pastry cream or quince jam -- I've used the latter, but you can also use sour cherry jam (popular in southern Puglia) or whatever takes your fancy. —Emiko

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (110 grams) sugar
  • 1 stick (½ cup or 125 grams) of cold butter, diced
  • 1 large (not jumbo) whole egg plus 1 yolk, beaten (save the white for brushing on top of the pastry for a shiny crust)
  • zest of one lemon, finely grated
  • 2 cups (560 grams or 20 ounces) quince jam (or sour cherry jam or pastry cream)
  • powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Directions
  1. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the cold butter into the flour and sugar by pulsing the processor or, if using hands, rub the butter into the flour until you get a crumbly mixture and there are no more visible butter pieces. Mix in the beaten egg and the yolk along with the lemon zest until the pastry comes together into a smooth, elastic ball. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 3mm (1/10 inch) thick. Cut 8 discs about 3 3/4-4 inches in diameter (9.5-10cm) -- I use a bowl I have about this size across the widest part, flip it over onto the rolled out dough and trace around it. Fill a muffin tray or ramekins with the pastry discs, pressing them down gently to be smooth and even. Prick the base with the tines of a fork.
  3. Fill the pastries (I used roughly 1/4 cup or a couple tablespoons) with jam.
  4. Gather together the leftover dough and roll it back out to 3mm thickness. Cut out discs to cover exactly the top of the pastries (mine were about 3 1/4 or 8cm in diameter).
  5. Beat the leftover egg white and brush some over the edges of the pastries before putting the discs on top. Press down the edges very gently to seal and, if desired, you can brush the egg white on the top of the pastries too, this will give them a bit of shine, if you are going to serve them without a dusting of powdered sugar.
  6. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180C/350F for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and crisp.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Frank van den Bosch
    Frank van den Bosch
  • Emiko
    Emiko
  • Mimi
    Mimi

4 Reviews

Frank V. March 5, 2021
Why 4cups of jam if you only need 1/4 cup for each pastry ?
 
Emiko March 6, 2021
Thanks for picking that up -- you are right, it's a typo. Go with the grams for this (560gr), which is more like 2 cups! Thank you.
 
Mimi March 17, 2018
Do you pulse the egg yolk in the food processor too? Or do you take out the dough and then mix in the yolk?
 
Emiko March 19, 2018
You can do either -- I prefer to do everything with my hands so I use hand mix but this is a quick/easy one to do entirely in the food processor!