Bocconotti

Name: Bocconotti
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 7
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 2 cups; Butter cold 3.5 oz; Sugar ½ cup; Eggs (about 1 medium) at room temperature 2.1 oz; Egg yolks (approximately 1 medium) at room temperature 0.7 oz; Baking powder 1 tsp; Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp; Black grapes (seedless) 2 ½ cups; Sugar ¾ cup; Almond flour ½ cup; Dark chocolate 1.8 oz; Butter to taste

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Makes: 7 pieces
Cost: Low
Note + 1 h of resting the pastry dough in the refrigerator

PRESENTATION

In Abruzzo, people really, really love their bocconotti recipe traditions. Especially in the Teramo area, where these treats showed up back in the 18th century. And the shape? These little Italian bocconotti pastries are kind of famous for their unique inverted cone look. I mean, they definitely stand out on any dessert table. The tender shortcrust pastry is light. But here's the thing, the magic really happens when you take a bite and find that rich center.

This version sticks to what you’d find in Abruzzo, featuring a moist filling of homemade black grape jam, dark chocolate, almond flour, and a hint of cinnamon. It's a mix that gives you a sweet and slightly tangy experience—just the way folks in Teramo like them. The dark, almost mysterious color of the filling really stands out against the pale pastry—seriously good. That’s why these are a favorite at gatherings and holidays in the region.

Throughout Southern Italy, there are tons of bocconotti variations. The fillings change depending on what’s around—sometimes chestnut cream, sometimes cherry, but the black grape jam version? It really screams "Abruzzese desserts." You’ll see these next to other local delights like ferratelle at family parties or town festivals. And look, what makes the traditional bocconotti so special isn't just the filling. It's also the classic molds that shape them perfectly—pretty much a big deal in Abruzzo.

Biting into a crispy edge, then hitting that gooey chocolate-almond center? It's the kind of experience that keeps people coming back. They might look fancy, but these bocconotti pastries are about simple ingredients coming together perfectly. A little taste of Abruzzo in each bite. Whether you call them bocconotti cookies or just the best Italian pastries around, there’s nothing quite like a homemade batch to share. Seriously. Every piece is a bite of history and a sweet reminder of the beautiful Abruzzo region.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the pastry (for 7 molds with an upper diameter of 3 inches): Type 00 flour 2 cups (250 g); Butter 3.5 oz (100 g) - cold; Sugar ½ cup (100 g); Eggs 2.1 oz (60 g) - (about 1 medium) at room temperature; Egg yolks 0.7 oz (20 g) - (approximately 1 medium) at room temperature; Baking powder 1 tsp; Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp

For 300 g of jam: Black grapes 2 ½ cups (500 g) - (seedless); Sugar ¾ cup (150 g)

For the filling: Almond flour ½ cup (50 g); Dark chocolate 1.8 oz (50 g)

For greasing the molds: Butter to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Bocconotti

To make bocconotti, first prepare the black grape jam: detach the grapes from the cluster, wash them thoroughly under running water, then open them with a small knife and remove the seeds 1. Transfer the seedless grapes to a saucepan 2 and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often to break them down 3.

After this time, pass the grapes through a food mill to extract the juice and some pulp 4. Put the puree back in the saucepan, add the sugar 5, stir and cook over low heat until it reaches a temperature of 226°F: it will take about 20 minutes, but it is advisable to check with a cooking thermometer 6. At this point, set aside 270 g of jam that you will need for the recipe and let it cool; if there is any leftover jam, you can store it in the refrigerator in a jar.

Proceed to prepare the pastry: pour the sifted flour into a large bowl along with the sugar 7, baking powder 8, cold butter cut into pieces 9

and cinnamon 10, then start working the dough with your fingertips to turn it into crumbs and avoid warming it too much 11. Now add the whole egg 12

and the egg yolk 13 and mix everything well, then transfer the mixture to the work surface and continue kneading 14 until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Form a loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour 15.

In the meantime, return to preparing the filling: take the jam, add the almond flour 16 and the dark chocolate that you have previously chopped with a knife 17 and mix well 18. Keep the filling in the refrigerator for the duration of the pastry's resting time.

After this time, lightly flour both the work surface and the dough and roll it out to a thickness of about a quarter inch 19. Using the bocconotti mold directly, with an upper diameter of 3 inches 20, cut out a total of 7 discs 21, kneading and rolling out again even the scraps.

Then cut out another 7 discs, this time using a cookie cutter with a diameter of 3.5 inches 22. At this point, butter the molds and place the smaller pastry disc (3 inches in diameter) on the bottom, making it adhere well to the sides too 23, then add about 2 teaspoons of filling 34.

Finally, cover the molds with the larger pastry disc (3.5 inches in diameter) 25 and pinch the edges together to seal them 26. Transfer the molds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 27 and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 20 minutes.

After the cooking time, take the bocconotti out of the oven and let them cool slightly 28, then gently remove them from the molds and sprinkle them with powdered sugar 29. Your wonderful bocconotti are ready to be enjoyed 30!

Storage

Bocconotti can be stored at room temperature for about 4-5 days, preferably under a glass dome. You can freeze the bocconotti after they are cooked and cooled. You can also freeze the raw pastry, wrapped in plastic wrap.

The leftover jam can be stored in the refrigerator and should be consumed within a maximum of 3-4 days.

Advice

As mentioned in the presentation, there are many variants of this regional dessert: one of these involves using unsweetened cocoa instead of dark chocolate, or adding toasted and chopped almonds as an alternative to almond flour... try experimenting and choose your favorite bocconotti version!

Curiosity

It is believed that the term "bocconotto" refers to the fact that the pastries were originally small enough to be eaten in one bite, although in more recent times they have been preferred to be made larger, like the ones found now. The only certainty, however, is that the word "bocconotto" first appears in the 1930 Abruzzese Dictionary by Domenico Bielli with the following definition: "Buccunotte: round-shaped pastry with a filling of honey, cream, chocolate, whipped cream, or other."

IMPORTANT

Homemade preparation of preserves and jams may pose health risks. In a domestic environment, it is not possible to create conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food, which industrial procedures, on the other hand, are able to ensure to prevent dangerous contamination. Therefore, it is important to strictly follow food safety guidelines to reduce risks, but it must always be remembered that the same food safety can never be achieved as with preserves and jams produced at a professional level. For correct preparation of homemade preserves, please refer to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.