Friday, May 14, 2010

Chocolate Agnolotti




Only a few days left before I leave and things are getting hectic. As soon as I finish this I'm going to run some last minute errands and then figure out how I'm going to manage the Little Humble's entertainment on one of the longest flights we've taken her on to date.

I see from the poll I posted a few days ago that most folks are okay with me blogging about my trip so I'll do that in addition to posting the pies for the NSHP pie contest. I'll try to keep things fairly food oriented, just so things don't deviate too far from the food-blogger norm.

To those who answered "Trip?" on the poll: Mr. Humble, the Little Humble and I be visiting my mother in London for a couple weeks. My family and I will also be taking a few brief side trips with my mother and her husband to Scotland and Morocco.

Yes, there will be haggis.

I see one person selected the option indicating that regardless of what I post, they want to stab me with a butter knife... interesting. Well, I'm surprised it was just one out of a hundred. I really thought I was more irritating than that.



So today's treat is quick and simple. I would tag it as "easy" but it does involve frying which I realize terrifies some folks.

I have always been a fan of fried ravioli (agnolotti is simply a half moon shaped ravioli), and they only get better when the savory filling is swapped for something sweet.

These chocolate agnolotti remind me a little of a warm adult version of Hostess Pudding pies. I've not seen them for years, but I was very fond of them as a kid (yes, I'm a child of the '80s). They make a sinful breakfast, or an impressive yet easy dessert. They would be lovely dunked into, or drizzled with, some sort of decadent sauce. Something I considered whipping up this morning, but I'm a bit crunched for time and I desperately need to de-chocolate the little Humble, who went to town on these little pastries.





Not So Humble Chocolate Agnolotti

filling
1/2 cup (82g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream

pastry
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup cold water

oil for frying

To make the filling, combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until smooth and combined.

Place the chocolate mixture into the refrigerator to chill until firm. This makes it easier to work with. It isn't absolutely necessary though, being in a rush this morning I allowed mine to cool for 30 minutes (until it had thickened) and then filled my pastry.

To make the pastry, combine the flour, sugar, salt and melted butter in a bowl. Use your hands to mix the butter with the dry ingredients, then add the water. Use just enough to make the dough come together in a ball (if it is crumbly, you may need more than half a cup, so feel free to add a little more). Kneed the dough with your hands in the bowl for 3-4 minutes until smooth.

Allow the dough to rest lightly covered for 10 minutes.

Roll the dough out into a thin (1/8" thick) sheet and then cut 5-6" wide ribbons from the dough.

Fold each ribbon in half, to create a crease along the length of the dough.

Using this crease as your guide, drop teaspoons of the chocolate filling on one side of the crease (you'll be folding the other side over to cover the chocolate), leaving about 1.5-2" of space in between.

Fold the dough over to cover the filling and press firmly to seal. Using a round cutter, cut out the agnolotti from the ribbon. Set aside in a single layer to await frying. Repeat with all the remaining dough and filling.

(The agnolotti can be frozen at this point and stored for future use. Simply arrange them in a single layer on a sheet pan and pop into the freezer until frozen, then toss them into a ziplock bag. No need to defrost before frying.)



When ready to fry, pour roughly one and a half inches of oil into a heavy bottomed pan and place over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the agnolotti in batches until golden brown, draining on paper towels.

Serve warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.


25 comments:

  1. I've never heard of those but they look good! Would definately liek to try some with coffee, preferably as a liitle snack at work

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  2. I'm glad you don't live in LA. I'd never win a cooking contest again.

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  3. This is such a nice departure from all the other typical desserts out there, I am definitely adding it to my favorites and I can't wait to try it with other fillings.

    Also, I have a submission coming your way for the NSHP contest. :)

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  4. oh my goodness, i hope whoever selected the butter knife option did it in jest.. i would love to see pictures and hear stories about the entire trip!

    i used your taffy recipe and should have a post up later this afternoon.

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  5. i am in the midst of attempting to re-create your chocolate butterflies for a b-day cake....
    took a "freezer" break & decided to check in...
    have a great trip...we all look forward to your posts...travel safe & have fun!

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  6. Mmm, looks delicious! Have a fun trip!

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  7. Ah, There Will Be Haggis. The lesser known but magnificent second film in the Daniel Plainview series.

    These look great, I'm gonna make them for my best friend when she comes over tonight :) She's a chocomaniac.

    I love your blog btw! x

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  8. I didn't even see the poll on the side bar. I always just go straight for the food pics in the middle.

    This is a good one, not intimidating at all. I think I'll make these!

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  9. What a lovely afternoon tea treat.
    I love the touch of icing sugar as a contrast to the dark chocolate.

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  10. Oh god, wow. I think my heart skipped a beat just thinking of eating one of these. Mmmmm. Just for reference, do you need to wait for the oil to reach a certain temperature before frying?

    Ah, don't knock haggis - I've been living in Edinburgh for the past four years and initially the idea of various bits of offal stewed in a stomach made my own stomach turn. But after experiencing genuinely good haggis (always, always MacSweens) I've begun to develop a taste for it :)

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  11. Alia,

    You'll want the oil around 340°F, hot enough to turn the agnolotti golden brown in roughly a minute.

    Not knocking the haggis, I have folks in the family who like it and are actually looking forward to it.

    As for Edinburgh, I'll be visiting. Do you know of any good spots for sweet treats in the city?

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  12. "They would be lovely dunked into, or drizzled with, some sort of decadent sauce."

    I see these on a brunch buffet at home -- Easter, maybe, or a morning wedding reception -- served with a choice of warmed marmalade, cherry preserves or mocha cream.

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  13. Ms Humble, you've got to track down Banoffi Pie and honeymoon bars. We had the honeymoon bars in Orkney -- I don't know if they're elsewhere. Gotta love a country where caramel is a major foo group.

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  14. Ms Humble,

    Edinburgh is pretty great for food with lots of lovely little places for treats. There's a little Farmers Market every Saturday on Castle Terrace (near Princes Street). Also, lots of lovely places to have afternoon tea - Eteaket on Frederick Street (smack in the centre of town) and further out in Morningside there's the famous Loopy Lorna's Teahouse. Either are a must for a proper afternoon tea! Also, there's the sweet shop on Hanover Street called I Love Candy (http://www.ilovecandystore.com/) with lots of sweet goodies. Also, Jenners department store has a food section on the top floor for some up-market stuff too. I could go on and on about Edinburgh food-spots but I won't ;p

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  15. I've never heard of those but they look good! Would certainly like to try it with coffee or tea.

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  16. I'm so looking forward to your trip blog posts! I'll be visiting London, Windermere and Edinburgh too for the first ten days of June. Yay! Please share notes on quirky shops, cafes and all that :)

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  17. OMG. Je veux.

    Percy loves haggis. Not really a fan myself. Black pudding is what you really want, but it doesn't look like my hometown is on your list, so you won't get a good'un. :)

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  18. If you're in Edinburgh, you can't miss Valvona and Crolla's: http://www.valvonacrolla.co.uk/html/contactus.html

    The shop is an amazing twisty place, full of cheeses, meats, oils, wines and more! Beautiful! They used to have a cafe in the back too, but I'm not sure if they have moved it to the Multrees Walk place or they have both open. Still, the shop is a definite must-visit for any foodie!

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  19. These look like a yummy treat! I might have to try making them!

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  20. what kind of oil do you fry them in?

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  21. I wish I was having these for lunch.

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  22. Talz,

    I use canola, though any oil with a high smoke point works fine (provided you like the oil's flavor).

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  23. thanks SO much for this recipe. It's great to be able to present something a little unusual like this, especially when it looks and tastes so good. I served mine as dessert with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Crowd-pleaser!

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