Bocconotti Lucani
These traditional sweet tartlets from the Vulture area of Basilicata encase a rich filling of dark chocolate, almonds, and sour cherry jam in tender shortcrust pastry.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •12 fluted metal tartlet moulds
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Baking sheet
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the cold butter into the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add the beaten eggs and knead briefly on a lightly floured board just until a smooth dough comes together.
- 3
Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for thirty minutes.
- 4
Stir together the sour cherry jam, chopped dark chocolate, and toasted almonds in a bowl to make the filling.
- 5
Grease twelve fluted tartlet moulds lightly with butter and dust them with flour.
- 6
Roll out two-thirds of the chilled dough to three millimetres thickness and cut twelve rounds to line the moulds.
- 7
Press the pastry gently into the bottom and sides of each mould.
- 8
Divide the chocolate and jam filling evenly between the pastry cases.
- 9
Roll out the remaining pastry, cut smaller rounds, and press them firmly over the tops to seal the edges.
- 10
Bake at 180C (160C fan) for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the pastry is pale golden and firm.
- 11
Leave the tarts to cool completely in their moulds on a wire rack before turning them out.
- 12
Dust the tops lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Chef's tips
Do not overfill the moulds, as the jam and chocolate filling expands and can burst through the pastry seal. Ensure the pastry stays cold so it handles easily without tearing.
Ingredient substitutions
- sour cherry jam → dark grape jam (mostarda d'uva) or thick plum jam
- unsalted butter → lard (strutto) for a firmer, more traditional Lucanian pastry crumb
Storage
Store the cooled tarts in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days.
Reheating
These are traditionally served at room temperature, but you can warm them at 140C for five minutes if preferred.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overworking the dough, which develops gluten and results in a hard rather than crumbly pastry.
- •Failing to seal the top and bottom pastry layers together, causing the filling to leak during baking.
- •Attempting to unmould the tarts while hot, which causes the delicate crust to break apart.
Serving suggestions
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