A taste of Genovesi

A couple from Germany came in last night after taking a tour of Sicily's bakeries. They were incredibly generous with their platter of citrus slices dipped in Madagascar chocolate, cannoli, torta Savoia, Buccellati and Torta Volo... it was quite an evening...You would think I had enough. But this afternoon, after one of the waiters at a cafe on Via Roma warned me that the stuffed squid might have some shrimp in it, I decided to extend my inquiry into Sicilian dolce and opted for a cafe macchiato and a pastry. 

Cafe macchiato topped with ribbons of frothy milk

I've never tasted a Genovesi. Traditionally from Eurice, this pastry is filled with ricotta and chocolate or a sweet vanilla cream. The outer layer of pastry tasted like a cookie and a cake - not too sweet, not too dense. One of the pastry chefs described the outer layer as a Sicilian style shortbread. The ricotta was made from sheep's milk. Depending on what is available, the Genovesi can be filled with custard, marmalade, or chocolate cream. 

Made in the shape of the Virgin's breast (St. Agatha's to be exact - another brutal story of torture),  the Genovesi is sometimes decorated with a red cherry to imitate an aroused nipple. Below is a variation of the recipe created  by the Monastery of the Virgins of Palermo as described by writer June di Schino in her essay, "The Waning of Sexually Allusive Monastic Confectionery in Southern Italy." Di Schino's beautiful book, which is hard to find,is called Disappearing Foods.

The traditional Genovesi,  shaped like the breast of the Virgin, is called 'minni di vergine.' 

                        The Genovesi 
 Prepare a greased baking sheet and set your oven at 430 F. degrees.

Ingredients( for the short crust pastry): 

• 2 cups of durum wheat flour
• 2 cups of all purpose white flour flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold
• 4 egg yolks slightly beaten
• A few tablespoons of cold milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Zest of one lemon
• Flour for dusting
• 1 egg, a dash of sugar and 1 egg white lightly beaten for the wash

Making the Dough: 
In a medium size bowl,mix the flours,salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into the bowl and blend. Add the honey, vanilla, and the lemon zest and egg yolks. Blend the dough until it holds together  Transfer the mixture onto a flour dusted work surface and knead for a few minutes. Add some water or milk if the dough is too tough to knead. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in wax paper  and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour. 

The Cream: 
2 lbs of ricotta 
1 cup of cane sugar
zest of one orange
2 pinches of cinnamon
1 drop of vanilla 
1/4 cup of chocolate chips or bitter chocolate shavings
 
Assembly: 
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and then divide each piece into 3 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Roll each piece into a 1/4 inch circle (about 6 inches across). Brush the edges with the egg wash.   

In the center of each circle, place 1 tablespoon of filling. Pull the edges of the dough together to form a crescent and then shape into a breast like form... Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until brown. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.