Sfogliatine Glassate with Mimi Thorisson

cookbooks, Old World Italian and French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson

When I was growing up, I always dreamed of traveling around the world. I love discovering the beauty of different places, experiencing the culture, mingling with the locals and of course, learning about and tasting the food—both sweet and savory. A few years ago I was in the small town of Bassano del Grappa and found a very charming bakery, Pasticceria Caffeterria del Borgo. I saw a bag of the most interesting Italian cookies, sfogliatine glassate, or glazed puff pastry. Their name comes from the Italian word "sfoglia" meaning "sheets", which describes the layering of the puff pastry dough.

Amie Smith and Mimi Thorisson

Workshop with Mimi Thorisson

On a recent trip to Venice, I took a workshop with Mimi Thorisson (more posts to come on this experience) and we were shopping in the markets and various stores to purchase our ingredients for the day. We stopped at Emilio Colussi, a family-owned bakery dating back to 1840, that sells cakes, tarts and classic Italian pastries and breads. Talk about old school bakeries. It transported me to my childhood visits to Zuber’s, our local bakery in Wayne, NJ. The layout, décor, uniforms, and of course, the food—it was all there.

When I saw a package of sfogliatine my face lit up.  While pointing to them I said, “Mimi, have you ever had these? She replied, “No. Would you like for me to get some?” I didn’t hesitate to say, “Yes, please!”

Sfogliatine Glassate in ITaly

The sfogliatine were served after lunch, and I was secretly disappointed that Mimi didn’t want to try one. The next evening as we were preparing for dinner at the Palazzo, Mimi came up to me and was very excited. “Amie, I wanted to have a cup of coffee this afternoon and needed something sweet. I tried the sfogliatine and loved them.” This made my day. When you are inspired by someone that has an equal love and appreciation for all things food and then you’re able teach them or share something new, well, there’s no greater feeling.

Sfogliatine Glassate

Sfogliatine Glassate, from my home kitchen

When I first saw sfogliatine I could not figure out how they were made. After a little research—inspired to come back and immediately crack the code so I could share my results with Mimi—it turns out they are very easy to make. And this fascinating pastry that is so simple to make with impressive results summarizes what I try to impress upon people that think baking has some mystique to it. With four ingredients: puff pastry, egg white, powdered sugar, and jam you can make these delicate, sweet, and delicious treats to pair with your next cup of tea or coffee, try making sfogliatine. We tested raspberry and apricot jam. I’m partial to the apricot for this one, but you can try whatever you like. Either way, I think Mimi would approve!