Virgin's Breast (Minne di Vergine) Sambuca Style
(Minni ri Virgini ri Sambuca)
Around the year 1725, the marquees of Sambuca gave to Suor Virginia the assignment to create a new dessert: she was a nun –baker, in the Monastery “Collegio di Maria” in Sambuca in the province of Agrigento. The occurrence to celebrate was the wedding of the area’s lord, marquis Beccardelli, the marquees son. Suor Virginia created this new dessert, using the ingredients available in the convent: milk, flour, honey, eggs, butter, jasmine, lemon spices and the abundant squashes growing in the monastery’s vegetable garden.
These pastries made in the shape of a breast, symbol of fertility, are made with an outer layer of pasta frolla (shortbread dough) stuffed with lemon flavored eggless cream (Bianco Mangiare), with preserved squash and diced candied citron in addition to chocolate shavings. Each ingredient should be placed in layers to differentiate and enhance the taste of each component; the pastry are covered with a light lemon glace and decorated with rainbow colored sprinkles.
- Yield12 Pastries
- Sicilian DessertsMinne di Vergine Sambuca Style
Ingredients
For the Shells
- 1 ¼ lb. all purpose flour (5 cups)
- ½ lb. granulated sugar (1 cup)
- ½ lb. lard or sweet butter (1 cup or 2 sticks)or half lard & half butter
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 egg plus 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- grated rinds (zest) from 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of dried ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- Extra flour for dusting or to add
For the Filling
- Prepare ½ of Squash preserve (see Zuccata recipe) a day ahead and mix into it the cinnamon and the Jasmine flavor below.
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 5 drops Jasmine flavor (it can be found in Thai food shops 1oz. about $4 in 2013)
- Prepare ½ of Biancomangiare recipe, a day ahead.
- Diced Citron 2 oz.
- Bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings.
Glaze and Egg wash
- Prepare the Glaze recipe
- 2 eggs beaten with 4 tablespoons of milk for the egg-wash
Instructions
THE PASTRY DOUGH
Mound flour on a flat surface and form a well or place into a bowl. Add the sugar, butter, eggs, salt, honey, ginger, zest of lemon, pinch of salt and the baking powder. Use your hands and mix it until it will shape into coarse crumbs of diverse sizes. Knead and bring the mixture together to form a ball. Fold and press with the palm of your hands; do not over mix. Do not handle dough more than necessary. If dough crumbles, and feels to dry because mixture was over mixed add a few teaspoon cold water, one at a time; if dough is sticky, add little more flour. Form dough into a single mass and cover with a clean kitchen rag or with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
THE SHELLS
Divide dough in 2 pieces and knead briefly to compact; on a lightly floured working surface, roll out one piece to ¼ of an inch thick. Using a round cutter (or the rim of a glass) 4 inches across, cut 10 to 12 circles and set on a lightly floured pan. Knead the other piece of dough with any scrapes, compact it and roll it out ¼ of an inch thick. Using a round cutter (or the rim of a glass) 4 inches across cut 10 to 12 circles and set on a lightly floured pan. Set leftover scraps on the side.
THE BREASTS OF VIRGIN
Preheat oven to 375F and grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Mix into the Zuccata (squash preserve) the cinnamon and the Jasmine flavor. Brush half of the disks with the egg wash; place 1 tablespoon of Biancomangiare (Sicilian eggless custard cream) in the center of each disk put on top a tablespoon of the Zuccata , sprinkle a few pieces of diced candied citron and some chocolate shavings.Very importantly, make sure that the Biancomangiare is at the bottom layer of the pastry.
Cover each pasty with another disk and press all around to seal. Place each pastry onto a greased baking sheet 2 inches apart and as you transfer them, with your cupped hands, try to shape into a semi sphere with a culminating point resembling a breast.
Wash the pastries with egg white. Use the leftover scrapes to crown the top of each breast with a piece of dough the size and shape of a cherry to resemble the nipple. Bake the pastries for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are a golden color. Place pastries on a rack on top of a clean baking pan, to cool.
THE FINISH
Prepare the lemon flavored glaze. (See recipe) Cool the pastries and afterward use a brush to lightly cover each with the glaze. Garnish with colored rainbow sprinkles and place each minni di vergine on a small paper doily or a small serving dish. Serve at room temperature.