'Mpanatigghi

17/11/2023

‘Mpanatigghi are traditional sweets originating from the city of Modica, in Sicily. They are half-moons of shortcrust pastry that enclose a filling made of beef and chocolate, along with other ingredients that can vary according to family or local variations.

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

500 g of type 00 flour
200 g of sugar
200 g of cold butter, cubed
2 eggs
Grated zest of one lemon
A pinch of salt

For the filling:

150 g of ground beef
150 g of sugar
150 g of chopped almonds
100 g of dark chocolate
50 g of bitter cocoa powder
Cinnamon powder to taste
Ground cloves to taste
Grated zest of an orange

Preparation

Start by mixing the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter and work with your hands until you get a sandy mixture.
Add the eggs, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Knead until the mixture is smooth, then form a ball, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the ground beef with the sugar, chopped almonds, grated dark chocolate, cocoa powder, a hint of cinnamon and ground cloves, and orange zest.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a sheet about 3 mm thick and cut out circles with a diameter of about 10 cm.
Place a spoonful of filling on one half of each pastry circle, then fold into a half-moon, pressing well on the edges to seal them.
Place the ‘mpanatigghi on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow to cool before serving.

Trivia

‘Mpanatigghi were born in an era when chocolate began to spread in Europe, thanks to contact with the New World. In Modica, the fusion of meat and chocolate in these sweets is an example of the refined Sicilian culinary art that combines ingredients from different worlds. Beef might seem unusual in a sweet, but in the balance of flavors its presence is surprisingly harmonious and gives the dessert a particular richness.