Sunday's Sweet Cream Pastarelle

Sunday’s Sweet Cream Pastarelle are a traditional Italian dessert, perfect for enjoying on Sunday, especially after a family meal. They are simple-to-make shortcrust pastry sweets, filled with custard cream or whipped cream. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 300 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 150 g of cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 packet of baking powder
• Fresh cream for whipping (as much as you like)
• Icing sugar for decoration

For the whipped cream:

• 500 ml of fresh cream
• 50 g of icing sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or vanilla extract

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder.
2. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the cold butter in pieces and work the mixture with your fingertips until it becomes a sandy consistency.
4. Make a well in the center and add the whole egg and yolk, then knead until the dough is smooth and uniform.
5. Form a ball of dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
7. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 5 mm.
8. Cut out disks of shortcrust pastry with a round cutter and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake the shortcrust pastry disks in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
10. In the meantime, whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla until it is stiff and fluffy.
11. Once the pastry disks have cooled, fill them with a generous amount of whipped cream.
12. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Fun Fact

Pastarelle are perfect for personalization with additions to the filling, such as chocolate shavings or dark chocolate chips, or accompanied by fresh fruit. In some variations, custard cream is also added to the whipped cream for an even more luscious filling. They are a delight for both the eyes and palate, a symbol of conviviality and sweetness.