Delicious sfogliatelle ricce (sometimes called lobster tail pastry) was originally prepared only for the Italian aristocracy during the Renaissance.
View original recipe on allrecipes.comMake dough: Mix bread flour, semolina flour, and kosher salt together in a large bowl until well combined. Mix in water and honey; the dough will be very dry, like pasta. If dry flour remains after a few minutes of mixing, add up to 2 teaspoons more water to ensure all of the flour is moistened.
Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth, firm, and not tacky, 2 to 3 minutes. You want a firm dough, but it must still be workable. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and flatten. Cover 3 dough pieces with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Run unwrapped piece through a pasta machine on its widest setting a dozen or so times, folding it in half and rotating the sheet 45 degrees each time (see Cook’s Note). Dust with flour very sparingly, only if needed to prevent tearing. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make filling: Blend ricotta cheese in a food processor until smooth, then set aside. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then stir in sugar. Sift in semolina flour, whisking to avoid clumping; it will thicken up immediately. Reduce the heat to low, fold in blended ricotta, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and transfer filling to the food processor. Add egg yolks, one at a time with the processor running, until fully combined. Add orange peel, vanilla, and cinnamon, then pulse to mix. Transfer filling to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Divide each dough piece into 4 smaller pieces and cover with plastic wrap. Place clean kitchen towels over a work surface so you can lay each sheet of dough on the towels while you roll out the remaining sheets.
Run each piece of dough through a pasta machine on progressively smaller settings until dough is as thin as possible. After running it through the machine, stretch each sheet as wide as you can without tearing. Dough sheets should stretch to three times their original width and be so thin you can see through them.
Melt butter and lard in a small saucepan. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface, then place the first sheet of pastry on the parchment. Brush pastry with butter mixture. Place the second sheet on top of the first, overlapping by about 1/2 inch. Roll sheets up into a tight cylinder, leaving about 1 inch to overlap the next sheet. Place the third dough sheet onto the parchment, overlapping the second sheet, and brush with butter mixture. Continue rolling up the log of dough, repeating until all dough pieces are brushed with butter mixture and rolled. Wrap dough log in the parchment sheet, then wrap entirely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer chilled filling to a pastry bag or a 1-gallon zippered bag with the corner snipped off.
Cut dough log into 1/2-inch slices; you should have 16 to 20 pieces. Holding it in both hands, use your thumbs to flatten each slice from the center outwards, then shape it into a cone. Pipe some filling into the center, close partially, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to form remaining pastries.
Bake in the preheated oven until dough turns golden brown and starts to peel back from the pastries, 20 to 30 minutes, basting a couple of times with any leftover butter mixture if desired. Serve warm pastries dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
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