Pasticciotto cake, a traditional recipe from Lecce

The Apulia region is one of the most famous when it comes to food and if you’re in Lecce you can’t miss a taste of the well known pasticciotto, a small cake made of pastry and custard which is a pleasure to eat.

Nobody knows exactly who has invented the pasticciotto but it seems to be the single-dose version of the traditional cake of the Lecce made with pastry and cream and the one made with pastry and ricotta cheese; for sure it is a typical product from Lecce and the Salento area of Apulia and it can be eaten everywhere in this area (one of the best is from Pasticceria Dentoni in Torre dell’Orso)

You can also make your pasticciotto at home following this simple yet rewarding recipe which will make you very very happy.

Pasticciotto in Dentoni @Torre dell’Orso, Lecce

What you need for 10 pasticciotti

For the pastry
250 grams of flour
125 grams of unsalted butter
125 grams of caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of baking powder
A pinch of salt

For the custard
1/2 liter of milk
125 grams of sugar
4 egg yolks
50 grams of cornstarch
1/2 vanilla bean (or alittle bit of lemon zest)

How to make the pasticciotti
1. Start by making the pastry. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, baking powder, butter and sugar until the mixture is the consistency of a crumble. Add the egg yolks and stir together until the mixture is combined. Wrap the pastry with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
2. Make the custard by boiling the milk with the vanilla and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Apart mix sugar and cornstarch and then beat the egg yolks, add the mixture of sugar and cornstarch slowly and gradually add also the hot milk, stirring constantly. Put the mixture on a low heat and allow to thicken by boiling, taking care always to mix otherwise the custard will stick.
3. Roll out the pastry to a maximum height of 4mm then line 10 oval molds, fill them with the custard cream and cover the surface with the remaining pastry. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 200° for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Preparation time: 2 hours