Minne di Sant'Agata
Small dome-shaped Sicilian pastries filled with sweetened sheep ricotta, coated in white icing, and finished with a candied cherry.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Half-sphere silicone moulds or tartlet tins
- •Rolling pin
- •Electric hand whisk
- •Fine sieve
- •Baking tray
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 9 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the flour, lard, and caster sugar together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add the beaten egg and knead briefly until a smooth, cohesive dough forms.
- 3
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
- 4
Press the drained sheep ricotta through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.
- 5
Fold 120g of icing sugar, the chopped dark chocolate, and diced candied peel into the ricotta until evenly blended.
- 6
Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of roughly 3mm.
- 7
Cut discs of pastry and press them into half-sphere moulds, trimming any excess from the rims.
- 8
Fill each pastry-lined mould generously with the prepared ricotta cream, then seal the bases with smaller pastry discs.
- 9
Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is pale golden and firm.
- 10
Allow the pastries to cool completely, then carefully unmould them onto a wire rack with the rounded side facing up.
- 11
Whisk the egg white, 200g icing sugar, and lemon juice together until thick, glossy, and completely opaque.
- 12
Spoon the white icing smoothly over each dome, then place a single candied cherry on the top of each pastry.
Chef's tips
Sheep's milk ricotta must drain in a sieve in the fridge for several hours to prevent watery filling. Lard gives the traditional crumbly shortcrust texture, but unsalted butter can be used instead. Let the baked pastries cool completely before glazing so the icing sets evenly without melting.
Ingredient substitutions
- sheep's milk ricotta → well-drained whole cow's milk ricotta
- lard → cold unsalted butter
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Serve cold or at room temperature; do not reheat as the icing and ricotta filling will melt.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using wet ricotta, which causes the pastry crust to turn soggy during baking.
- •Applying the sugar glaze while the pastries are still warm, making the icing run off instead of setting.
- •Overworking the shortcrust pastry dough, resulting in a tough and chewy casing.
Serving suggestions
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