D'amico Grano Cotto per Pastiera Napoletana 580 g Cooked Italian Wheat

Product Information

Like many classic Neapolitan dolce , pastiera Napoletana is thought to have been first invented in a convent (it was common for nuns to bake elaborate creations to sell to the public, helping them to support themselves). The sweet-scented aroma drifting from the convent ovens would’ve acted as a sensory reminder of the nun’s presence to the Neapolitans who would never set eyes on them, even when purchasing a sweet treat through a barred convent window. Our Pastiera Napoletana recipe Roll the reserved ball of pastry into an even layer, then cut 8 strips out of it that are about 2cm wide and long enough to lay across the top of the cake tin. The candied orange peels in the filling give the pastiera a very distinct and unique flavor, so I would recommend adding them. I used these candied orange peels. If you can't find candied orange peels, or do not wish to add them, you can add the zest of one orange instead. Put the flour, icing sugar and butter in a bowl, then rub everything together with your fingers until you create a mixture that feels like breadcrumbs. Let the pastiera cool completely. If you have the time, let it rest overnight. Serve, straight from the pie plate, dusted with confectioner’s sugar.

Mix the flour and sugar together by pulsing in a food processor. Then add the lard or butter and pulse until you have a sand like texture. Then add the egg yolks and mix again until the dough forms a ball, adding a bit of water, spoonful by spoonful, if need be. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or until needed. Roll out the dough and line the pie plate: Now turn your attention to the filling. First, drain and rinse the grano cotto and put it in a saucepan with 250g of milk, a vanilla pod, a sprinkle of cinnamon and half of the orange zest. Heat on a low to medium flame for around 15 minutes, being careful not to let the milk boil over. Leave to cool.Many traditional recipes said you needed to soak wheat berries for three days before cooking them—which meant you needed to begin making your pastiera a full six days before you wanted to eat it. Francesconi even talks about old time Neapolitans soaking them for two weeks. But these days wheat berries don’t need all that soaking. An overnight soak will do fine, and some sources say you needn’t soak them at all. Boil them until tender, usually about an hour and a half, before using them as you would grano cotto in the above recipe.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly.

Conservazione

Cut your shortcut pastry dough in two pieces, approximately 2/3 for the pastiera base and 1/3 for the lattice/gelosies. In una seconda ciotola setaccia la farina e il lievito per dolci in polvere, poi versa tutto nella ciotola con uova e zucchero, lentamente, mescolando con un cucchiaio di legno. In the winter of 1763, Sicily was undergoing a terrible famine. People were dying of hunger after a massive crop failure. The people of Syracuse did the only thing they could in the circumstances: they prayed. And then on the morning of December 13 a ship full of grain arrived in Syracuse harbour with enough grain to feed the whole city. Rather than wait to have the grain milled into flour to make bread, the hungry people boiled and ate the grain to satisfy their hunger and save their lives. The people were convinced that Santa Lucia, Syracuse’s patron saint had saved the city, since the grain arrived on her feast day. Syracuse Cuccìa