Iced Fig and Walnut Turnovers Cooking Recipe – Nepitelle Con La Glassa Bianca Recipe
These cakes are from an ancient recipe, and are typical of Calabria. They are traditionally prepared at Easter.
Makes 12 turnovers
Preparation time: 1 hour
Maceration time: 15 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Spiced wine reduction
- 4 cups (1 liter) grape must or
- 4 cups (1 liter) good red wine
- Scant cup (10 ½ oz./300 g) honey
- 1 orange or 1 lemon
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Pastry
- ⅔ cup (5 oz./150 g) lard
- 5 cups (1 lb. 2 oz./500 g) cake flour
- ¾ cup (5 oz./150 g) sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 sachet (1 tablespoon/11 g) powdered yeast
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg white
Filling
- ¾ cup (4 oz./120 g) raisins
- ½ cup (120 ml) rum 3 oranges
- 3 ½ oz. (100 g) dark chocolate
- 5 oz. (150 g) dried figs
- 2 cups (10 OZ./300 g) almond and walnut kernels
- 1 pinch of powdered cloves
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- 1 cup (250 ml) spiced wine reduction (see above)
Icing
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 lemon
- Small candies, to garnish (optional)
Cooking Method
Prepare in advance.
- Remove the lard from the refrigerator so that it softens to room temperature.
- For the filling, soak the raisins in the rum and zest the oranges.
- Grate the chocolate.
- Soak the figs in water (approximately 15 minutes), then drain and pat dry on paper towel.
- Chop the figs, almonds, and walnuts. For the spiced wine reduction, zest the lemon or orange.
- For the icing, juice the lemon and set aside.
Make the spiced wine reduction.
- Place the grape must or red wine, honey, zest of the lemon or orange, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan, and reduce over medium heat.
- Strain and set aside.
Prepare the pastry.
- Pour the flour and sugar onto the counter.
- Make a well in the center for the lard, eggs, and yeast.
- Knead everything together quickly and lightly until you have a smooth pastry dough.
- Place it in a bowl, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
Make the filling.
- Mix the chopped figs and nuts with the raisins, powdered spices, spiced wine reduction, orange zest, and grated chocolate to make the filling.
- Set aside.
Make the turnovers.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin to a thickness of ¼ in. (5 mm) approximately.
- Cut out 4 in. (10 cm) rounds with a cookie cutter or a glass and brush the edges with egg white.
- Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center, then fold over, and press the edges together firmly to seal them.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the turnovers on the sheet, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Leave them to cool on a rack.
Make the icing.
- Mix the egg white with the confectioners’ sugar using a spatula.
- Thin the mixture down with the lemon juice, until a coating consistency is reached.
- Brush the top of the turnovers with the icing, decorate with candies if you wish, and let the icing set.
Suggested food/wine match
- Librandi, Le Passule Bianco Passito—Val di Neto IGT Make the icing.
Did you know?
The name of these turnovers in Italian comes from the Latin nepitedum, meaning “eyelid”
