Bocconotti are mini pies made of shortcrust pastry that are typically prepared for Christmas. They are a symbolic holiday dessert throughout Abruzzo, perfect for a Christmas breakfast, a snack with friends, or with some warm milk at night. The original recipes call for two different fillings, depending on the area and on family traditions.
There are those who make them with chocolate and rum and those who fill them with grape jam. But the one ingredient that’s never missing is almonds!
The base is made of shortcrust pastry, prepared with 2 cups of Italian 00 flour, 1 stick of softened butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and cinnamon to taste. The dough is mixed, left to rest, and then rolled out. Small discs are then cut out using cookie cutters in two different sizes. The larger discs are used to line paper muffin liners to form the base of the bocconotti. The smaller discs are used later on to cover the filling.
The jam-based filling is prepared by blending together 2 ounces of toasted almonds, 3 1/2 tablespoons of chocolate chips, cinnamon to taste, the zest of half a lemon, 1 cup of grape jam, 1/4 cup of assorted jams (black cherry, plum, apple), and 2 shortbread cookies (optional). The chocolate-based filling is prepared by blending together 3 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 ounces of blanched almonds, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a tablespoon of rum, the zest of one lemon, cinnamon to taste, a tablespoon of milk, and 2 to 3 dry biscotti. The bocconotti are baked for 20 minutes at 350°F and dusted with powdered sugar once cooled.