2018 is coming to an end and we are now ready to welcome the upcoming new year by celebrating New Year’s Eve together with our friends and dear ones.
To go out with a bang we’ve prepared a free interpretation of the Neapolitan Pastiera. This is not the classical version (for that please be patient until Easter 😉 ), but a deconstructed Pastiera. It brings the flavour of the traditional cake but it’s quicker to prepare as we used ready-made butter cookies instead of making the shortcrust pastry.
We have to thank our friend Francesca from Naples whom we prepared the traditional Pastiera with and who shared all the little secrets of this delectable cake.
We wish you all 365 days full of joy and…good food!
INGREDIENTS for 8-10 servings:
12-16 butter cookies
250 g ricotta cheese
50 g granulated sugar
200 g icing sugar
150 g cooked wheat
250 ml milk
1 lemon zest, grated
vanilla powder to taste
orange flower water, to taste
cinnamon powder, to taste
100 g mixed candied fruit (like orange, citron, butternut squash)
Drain the cooked wheat through a colander. Add the wheat into a pot and pour the milk on it. Add granulated sugar, grated lemon zest and cinnamon. Cook on low heat and keep stirring until it becomes a cream (about 30 minutes). Set aside and let cool.
Place the ricotta cheese into a strainer and, using a rubber spatula, press the cheese allowing it to pass through the strainer. Mix the ricotta with the icing sugar. Then add it to the cooled wheat cream, together with the vanilla powder, the orange flower water and 3/4 of the candied fruit. Mix very well until obtaining a smooth cream.
Crumble 1 or 2 cookies, and place them into the bottom of a serving glass. Now you can spoon the Pastieracream into the glass or you can pipe it with a pastry bag. Decorate with candied fruit. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
mad and delicacy 
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