IMPANATIGGHE

There are variant spellings - 'mpanatigghie, impanatiglie - of the dialect word [ a corruption of Spanish empanadilla, meaning a filling enclosed in pastry] for these pastries. They have minced [ground] beef as one of their ingredients, but you would never guess it from the taste! Those in the photo are from the Pasticceria Cappello but here is a recipe for them that Linda sent me years ago. I know it works because I have successfully made them in Britain:

Impanatigghe

Pastry:

800 gr plain flour

250 gr sugar

200 gr lard

12 egg yolks [!]

a glass of water if needed

Filling:

350 gr finely chopped almonds

250 gr lean minced [ground] beef

400 gr sugar

90 gr bitter chocolate, grated

25 gr cinnamon

a few drops of vanilla essence

1 dessertspoon cocoa powder

grated rind of 1 lemon

4 egg whites

To make the pastry, rub the lard into the flour and sugar. Add yolks and a little water if necessary to make a dough. [It will be very sticky at first, but it gets better!]

Cook the minced meat in a little water and grind down in a processor. Add to the other filling ingredients in a bowl and mix all well together.

LET BOTH THE DOUGH AND FILLING REST IN THE FRIDGE. PREPARE THEM THE DAY BEFORE IF POSSIBLE.

Roll out the dough and cut into circles using a coffee saucer. Put some filling on each round, then fold over to a half-moon shape. Stick the edges together and make lines with the prongs of a fork. Cut a slit in the top of each one.

Put the pastries on a lightly greased tin and bake at 150 C - 175 C for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them. Serve cold, dusted with icing sugar.