Pardulas

Directions

• To make the tart cases, mix the flour, lard and salt in a bowl. Add a little lukewarm water and knead well until you have a smooth but firm dough. Wrap with cling film and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.
• In another bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, durum wheat flour, plain flour, baking powder, sugar, egg yolks, saffron, lemon and orange peel. Mix until well-combined to form the filling.
• Preheat oven to 355° F
• With a pasta machine or a rolling pin, roll out the tart case dough into a 3mm thick sheet. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out 8cm (~3") circles of dough and keep them aside. Repeat for the rest of the dough.
• Take a heaped tablespoon of ricotta filling and roll it into a ball. Put it in the centre of one of the dough circles and pinch the edges of the dough together around it to form a star-shaped shell. Repeat for all the circles of dough.
• Put the pardulas on a baking tray lined with baking paper. In a small bowl, make the egg wash by whisking together the egg yolk and milk, and brush the pardulas with it.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the oven off and leave the pardulas to cool inside the oven with the door ajar for 10–15 minutes, so they don’t deflate.
• You can serve the pardulas plain, you can dust them with icing sugar or brush with honey and decorate them with colored sprinkles. Pardulas are best eaten lukewarm, but you can also serve them at room temperature. They can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.