Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Bocconotti Mini Italian Cookie Tarts



These cookies are the ones that look like mini pies.
I also filled some with apricot and orange marmalade.

Bocconotti means tiny bites in Italian and is traditionally served during Christmas.  This recipe is made in many regions of Italy and traditionally are filled with jams, ricotta cheese or almond chocolate fillings.  You can cover tops of mini pies with dough or leave open top.

This Recipe is Chocolate Filling
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bocconotti
Pastry Dough:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into slices

Filling:
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces mini chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Plus another 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips for topping

Dust with powder sugar

Directions:
To make the pastry dough:
In a food processor combine all dough ingredients process until dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Make filling.

To make the filling:
Put the almonds in a food processor and grind them until finely chopped.
Add the sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, and cinnamon. Process until finely chopped and mixed well.

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold the almond mixture into the beaten egg whites, in 3 increments.
When the mixture is well combined, fold in the vanilla.

To form and bake the Bocconotti:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
You will need 36 individual mini tart molds that are approximately 1-1/2 inches wide.  I used a Wilton mini muffin pan. 

Take a walnut size amount of dough and roll it into a ball.  Use your fingers and press down into the mini muffin form to form a shell.  Form and press to form a mini pie in each mini muffin form.  Trim the excess off the top and clean edge of each tart. Place a teaspoon of filling in each tart shell and sprinkle with extra mini chocolate chips.  Place all the filled tarts on a sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes bake until lightly golden.

Remove from oven and cool tarts on wire rack. When cool, remove the tarts from the molds.  Dust with confectioners' sugar.  Can be stored in airtight container for a few days. Great with cup of espresso coffee!

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