Tortellini Dolci al Forno (Emilian Fruit-Stuffed Christmas Cookies)
Not to be confused with the pasta, these are the Christmas cookies of Emilia-Romagna: a flaky, anise-scented dough wrapped around a sweet-tart filling of cherry preserves, toasted almonds, candied citron and saba, the syrupy cooked-down grape must that gives the filling its depth. They look like tiny turnovers and keep well, which makes them ideal for a holiday cookie tray. The dough and the filling can both be made ahead.
- Serves
- 2 dozen cookies
- Yield
- 24 cookies
- Prep
- 1 hr 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 3 hr 10 min
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Level
- Intermediate
Directions
-
Make the dough: pulse the flour, lemon zest and salt in a food processor a couple of times to combine. Add the butter and pulse in 3-second bursts until it is in small crumbs, about 4 pulses. Add the anisette and vanilla and pulse just until the dough gathers into a mass, about 6 pulses. Divide into two 4-inch disks, wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
-
Make the filling: stir together the preserves, almonds, citron and saba in a small bowl. Chill, uncovered, until needed.
-
Heat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until smooth. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
-
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough ⅛ inch thick. Cut out 12 circles with a 4-inch round cutter, re-rolling the scraps as needed. Spoon 2 level teaspoons of filling onto each circle.
-
Working with one circle at a time, brush the edge lightly with egg white all the way to the rim, fold into a half-moon enclosing the filling, and press the edges firmly to make a ¼-inch seal. Crimp gently with a fork and set on a prepared sheet. When the first sheet is full, refrigerate it and repeat with the second disk of dough and the remaining filling. Chill both sheets at least 15 minutes.
-
Whisk the egg yolk with the tablespoon of water. Prick the top of each cookie with a fork to vent and brush lightly with the yolk wash. Bake until puffed and set, 20 to 25 minutes, switching the sheets between racks halfway through.
-
Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes, then dust generously with powdered sugar and serve.
Shawnie’s notes
Make ahead: the dough keeps, wrapped, up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Fully cooled cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days; dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Saba is sold online (including Amazon); candied citron from paradisefruitco.com.
Adapted from Food & Wine, December 2020
