Tortellini Dolci
During Carnival in Italy, masks, parades, confetti and all kinds of delicious festive food can be found in just about every city on the Peninsula. Bakeries and homes are filled with traditional fried desserts like chiacchiere, castagnole, frittelle or tortellini dolci fritti.
Tortellini Dolci are little moon shaped desserts filled with marmalade, but also a chocolate or cream filling can be used. This recipe is a lighter baked version, but they can simply be fried in hot oil if desired.
Makes around 18 tortellini dolci (depending on the size of your cookie cutter)
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt by hand or with the help of a stand mixer. Add the extra virgin olive oil, butter and eggs then knead until the dough comes together in a ball, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°C (204°C).
Flour a work space then roll out the dough to 1/8 inch. Cut out circles using a pastry ring, round cookie cutter or a glass. Collect the scrapes and roll into a ball. Flour the board and roll out the dough following the same procedure as above until all of the dough is finished.
Lightly brush the circles with water, and place a spoonful of jam or marmalade in the center. Close the circle into a half moon. Press on the borders with a fork to stick them together. Brush the tops lightly with a beaten egg or a little bit of milk.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the tortellini dolci on the sheet so they are not touching and bake for 10-14 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
Allow the tortellini dolci to cool for 10 minutes then, if desired, sprinkle with powered sugar.
