Pastizzi by Josephine and Charlie Vella
Maltese Pastizzi are the Maltese version of an empanada, hot pocket, calzone, etc. You get the picture. Dough on the outside and a filling of your choice on the inside. The most popular fillings are ricotta cheese (called pastizzi tal-irkotta) , curried ground beef with peas, or curried peas (called pastizzi tal-pi?elli).
My mom, Josephine Vella was known in our family for her Pastizzi skills. She usually made the ricotta filled type, but would occasionally make a hamburger pie with pastizzi dough. We have a video of her making pastizzis in 1993, at age 68, on YouTube.
About a year ago, I decided to give it a try and it turns out I have my Mom's genetic gift for the process. I now bring pastizzi to my Mom and to the rest of our family.
The following is our recipe and our process for making ricotta filled pastizzi.
Pastizzi dough recipe:
Ingredients:
2 lbs (5 cups) of white flour
1 Teaspoon to 1 T salt
1 to 2 c cold water
How to make dough:
Mix all the ingredients. Keep gradually adding the water. It should ultimately feel elastic but not wet. You can add a little water if too dry. Knead it for 10-15 minutes (this is really important!). Then put the dough in bowl rubbed with Crisco and rub the top of the dough with Crisco; Cover the bowl with a wet towel; leave it out at room temperature (do not refrigerate), for at least 5-6 hrs or leave it out overnight.
When you are ready to go, cut off a quarter of the dough. I rub my tile counter top with Cresco (or you can use vegetable oil). Roll the quarter of the dough out with rolling pin into a long thin rectangular piece (2 feet long, 1 foot wide); don't worry if there are holes.
Liberally rub the top with Crisco (although recently I have been using butter). Pull half of it over the other half, then roll it out very thinly again with the rolling pin; cover again with Cisco or butter. Then roll the rectangle up (start at corner edge and start folding it very tightly into a thin roll; roll into a long snake or cigar. This is what give the dough it's flakiness
Finally cover with saran wrap. I fold the snake into a circled coil. (One alternative method is to take a second quarter of dough, do all of the above to get final rectangle, and then put the first snake on top of this rectangle, and fold it into another snake. This way you get more internal layers and more flakiness.)
At this point you can use the dough immediately or freeze it (will last for months). Do the above for each of other 3 quarters of dough. You will end up with 4 "snakes" (or 2 fatter snakes if you do alternative method). If cooking immediately, leave dough sitting out for 1 hour. If freezing, put them in a freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 4 months.
Making the Filling:
Filling:
For ricotta:
1 lb package of ricotta,
2 large eggs,
1 teaspoon salt;
Mix it all thoroughly. This will makes 14 Pastizzi (or double the recipe for 30)
For meat pastizzi pie:
l lb. of partial cooked hamburger,
1 fried onion,
handful of grated Monterey jack cheese,
2 eggs.
I make a pastizzi pie where I roll out half of 1 coil for pie bottom and half for pie top; and fill with these ingredients.
Making ricotta pastizzi:
Uncoil your dough coil and cut into 1-inch pieces. Grease 1 large baking pan ( or 2 if making 30). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease your counter top. Take an inch dough piece, roll it out with your rolling pin into a 5" x 5" round, and fill it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of ricotta filling. Pull 1 flap of dough over the ricotta, then the opposite flap over the first, then twist the ends; keep reoiling the countertop.. Place each finished pastizzi In the baking pan, 4 in a row, 3 rows; 12-14 in a pan. At this point you have two options. Bake and eat now or freeze for later. If you choose to freeze, place cookie sheet in freezer until they are frozen thoroughly and then put in a freezer bag. You can bake them later.
Place baking pan(s) in the oven; 25 minutes on bottom rack, 15 minutes on top rack; 40 min total; can rotate two at same time, I would check to see how browned and flacky they look at 25 minutes.
Desert pastizzi: Because I am baking treats for my grandkids, Noelle and Toby, I have begun creating desert versions of pastizzi. You can be creative with the sweet filling. I have tried the following. Banana pastizzi: standard filling without salt; add 1 mashed banana and 1 cup of sugar. Chocolate pastizzi: 1 c ricotta, 1 c sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
Pastizzi dough is a universal flaky pastry shell. The filling totally depends on your imagination. Give it a try. Your imagination is the limit! Your family will love you.