A classic dessert from Abruzzo – with a twist!

A shortcrust pastry filled with spiced grape jam, or scrucchiata as we call it here. This wonderful jam is made exclusively with Abruzzan Montepulciano grapes, and carries a slightly crunchy consistency due to the grape skins. The grapes are beautifully combined with cocoa, almonds, cinnamon, and orange zest (which also happens to be a classic Christmas combination here in Abruzzo). The shortcrust pastry is a recipe from my grandmother Giovanna, who, unlike most Italian nonnas, never really enjoyed cooking, apart from making one dish – the crostata. No two crostatas she made ever looked alike as she changed the recipe a tiny bit each time she prepared it, preferring to do things ‘by the eye.’ Sometimes the crostata would be a little too well done, or too soft, or too lemony; but that never really mattered because they were all delicious to me!

Makes approx. 10/12 ravioli

Ingredients:

(For the pastry)

300 g flour
125 g butter (cold and cubed)
150 g sugar
3 egg yolks
Zest from one lemon
A pinch of salt

(For the filling)

300 g grape jam (or blackberry jam if grape jam is unavailable)
80 g roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
Zest from one lemon
Zest from an orange
1 tsp. cinnamon powder

Sift the flour into a bowl, and add sugar and salt before making a well in the middle of the mixture with the help of a spoon. Add the yolks to the middle of the well (one at a time), while slowly mixing the mixture with a fork to allow some of the flour to ‘fall’ into the mixture from the sides. Now add the cubed butter and, using your finger, begin mixing quickly until the dough comes together. If you think the dough is too crumbly or not well combined enough, you may add a little egg white (less than half a tablespoon or so).

Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix the ingredients for the filling and allow it to rest in the fridge as well.

Roll out the pastry until it is about 5 mm thick, cut it into circles, and place about 1 tbsp. of the spiced jam mixture into the middle of the cut pastry. Then, gently fold one side of the ravioli on top of the other and close the ends well, flattening them a little. Line the baking tray with parchment paper and place the raviolis on it. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and bake the raviolis for about 13 minutes or until golden. Enjoy! x

Sweet ravioli with grape jam