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Today we will introduce you to the descendants of the typical Neapolitan sfogliatelle: the sfogliatelle of Lama dei Peligni.
The sfogliatella from Lama dei Peligni originated in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its creation is attributed to a noblewoman with a refined palate who used local Abruzzo products to create an incredibly tasty dessert. In the early years of the century, Donna Francesca, mother of Baron Giampietro Tabassi, gave her daughter-in-law, Donna Anna Di Guglielmo di Civitella Messer Raimondo, a small village near Lama, the recipe for Neapolitan sfogliatella during a short stay at her home in Santa Maria Capua Vetere. In 1902, the young woman settled permanently in Lama, where her husband owned one of the family palaces, and brought the famous recipe with her.
It was here that the recipe underwent substantial changes by Baroness Annina, who decided to adapt it to her tastes and the availability of ingredients. The pastry, with the help of lard, became softer, while the filling was replaced with local products such as Montepulciano grape jam, a grape variety widely cultivated by all the Lama families of the time, black cherry jam, which grew wild near the Maiella mountain overlooking the village, cooked must and walnuts, which were easily available at the time. Another characteristic is their shape, as they are oval and strongly flattened.
This simple yet refined dessert was served to distinguished guests and diners when they gathered to celebrate special occasions, and the recipe, jealously guarded, never left the walls of Palazzo Tabassi. It was only in the 1960s that it became popular among the people of Lame thanks to the Tabassi family’s chef, who revealed its secrets to a few ladies, who in turn readily made it public knowledge.
To celebrate and promote the deliciousness of this dessert, the Sagra della Sfogliatella (Sfogliatella Festival) is held in Lama dei Peligni at the end of April, attracting more and more visitors each year.
Let’s see how to make them.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
1 egg
1 ladle of lard
1 ladle of water
1 teaspoon of sugar
00 flour in the same amount of lard and water
Salt to taste.
For the filling:
250 gr of grape jam
250 gr of black cherry jam
100 gr of toasted and ground walnuts
100 gr of bitter cocoa
50 gr of ground biscuits
Process
First we prepare the filling. Mix and heat the filling ingredients in a pan, stirring until the mixture is uniform, and leave to cool.
For the pastry, place the flour in the middle of which we will add the other ingredients. We knead carefully and spread the dough until it becomes very thin. We grease the pastry with lard, then fold it on itself until we get a strip of about 10 centimeters, continuing to grease the surfaces from time to time and turn. Roll the dough into a long cylinder which we will cover with the film leaving it to rest in a cool place. Once the lard has coagulated, slice the roll of pastry, obtaining dough rolls that we will roll out with a rolling pin, trying to obtain oval shapes. At the center of each one, place a teaspoon of filling and fold the dough, making the edges adhere well. Bake at 150 degrees for about half an hour and once cooked, sprinkle with icing sugar before serving on the table.
Happy Holidays!
Photo by www.visitterredeitrabocchi.it
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