Sfratti - Honey Nut Cookies from Pitigliano
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A traditional Jewish Italian cookie from Pitigliano, generally prepared at Rosh Hashanah but wonderful at any time of year.
Author:
Serves: 48 to 60 pieces depending on how they are cut
Ingredients
  • 3 cups of AP or 00 flour
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • Large pinch of kosher salt
  • ⅔ cup of dry white wine
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Grated zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup of flavorful honey, I combined a floral honey and artichoke honey
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • Grated rind of 2 oranges
  • 4 cups of walnuts, lightly toasted and hand chopped
  • Flour for rolling the pastry
Instructions
  1. Combine the white wine and olive oil in a pitcher. Place the flour, sugar, salt, and grated lemon peel into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixed thoroughly. With the processor running, pour the wine and oil mixture into the processor and run until a soft dough begins to form, do not over-process. Remove the loosely formed dough to a work surface and knead for for a few minutes until the dough comes together and is smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
  2. Have two heavy duty baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  3. Assemble the ingredients for the filling, having a medium sized saucepan on the stove. Place the honey, spices and orange rind in the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, watch the pot carefully, you do not want the honey to boil over. Reduce the flame if necessary and gently boil for about 3 minutes, stirring to be sure that the spices and orange rind are well combined. The room will fill with the most wonderful aroma. Add the nuts and give the pot a good stir to be sure that they are evenly coated with the perfumed honey mixture. Continue to stir for an additional 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, giving the walnut filling a good stir every so often; you do not want it to get completely cold and solidify.
  4. In the meantime, remove the pastry from the refrigerator and divide into 6 even pieces, forming each into a ball which you will hand stretch into a small rectangle of about 2 inches by 4 inches. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough into a 10 X 4 inch rectangle; arrange the finished rectangles on the work surface to be filled.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375º.
  6. Using a large spoon place a row of filling down the center of each of the pieces of rolled pastry, dividing the filling equally among the 6 pieces of pastry. Roll the pastry dough around the filling, turning the “sticks” so the seam is at the bottom. Pinch together both ends of each of the logs and place 3 on each of the baking sheets.
  7. Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is light golden. Halfway during the baking process reverse the position and shelf of the trays. Remove to a rack to cool completely. Once the Sfratti are completely cool, you may cut them into slices or on the diagonal. The “sticks” may also be wrapped in foil for several weeks or frozen. Slice when you are ready to serve.
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at https://labellasorella.com/2016/03/sfratti/