Words that make us feel good should be carried with us always.
For instance, my friend Gilla claims that if I want to, I will have a great vegan chef.
Thanks to her, I started using new ingredients like peanut butter for making the shortcrust pastry of these Raviole of Bologna.
Gilla’s words motivate me to step out of my comfort zone of tried-and-true family foods and traditional recipes.
Trying new dishes and flavor combinations, as happened with the red cabbage ragù, and unusual ingredients is part of my job as a recipe developer and food writer.
Some time ago, I started to cook using different ingredients than usual.
For example, I had never used peanut butter before.
If you’re thinking of something with millions of calories, I’ll stop you right there. It depends on the product you buy and how much you eat.
Under the sign Peanut Butter, there are many different products.
They can include sugar added, salt, and sometimes too much various seed oils. Generally, I don’t recommend abusing it: would you eat a stick of butter in one bite? If not, don’t finish a jar of peanut butter at one time.
I bought peanut butter with no added sugar and a little sunflower oil.
The cream has a golden peanut color and is soft and smooth.
It smells good and, compared to butter, leaves a trace of flavor.
If you don’t like peanuts, it’s not for you. If you want a tasteless vegetable and vegan butter, choose cocoa butter.
It may sound unbelievable, but it doesn’t taste like chocolate, and you can use it for sweet and savory preparations.
Pink Raviole of Bologna
After tasting the peanut butter, I realized that it would pass a little of its flavor to the dough.
Therefore, I thought of a filling that would go well with the taste of the shortcrust pastry.
But before the filling, let me say one more thing about the shortcrust pastry. To the dough of flour and peanut butter, I also added a mixture of red wine, Alkermes, and water.
For the filling, I chose cherry jam. Its taste works well with that of peanut butter.
I brushed the surface of the Raviole of Bologna with some Alkermes diluted with water and baked it in the oven.
I was curious to see the shortcrust pastry after baking. You can see the result. If you want to enjoy these cookies, you need to make them! The recipe is also vegan.
Buona cucina, Monica
Cook with me
On the blog, I shared the recipe and history of the traditional Raviole of Saint Joseph. However, raviole are so good that city bakeries never lack them! A mouth-watering version of these filled cookies is the one with custard, a variation that -I admit- I love very much.
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Raviole of Bologna cookies
Equipment
- 1 round cookie mold, 6 cm diameter
Ingredients
- 70 ml of red wine
- 30 ml of Alchermes
- 100 ml of water
- 250 g of 00 flour
- 150 g of peanut butter or regular butter or 140 g normal butter
- 80 g of brown sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
Filling
- 200 g of cherry jam
Brushing
- 10 ml of alchermes
- 30 ml of water
To decorate
- to taste of granulated or sanding sugar
Instructions
- In a glass, combine wine, Alchermes, and water and stir. Set aside.
- In the bowl of the planetary mixer, pour flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt and mix with a spoon.
- Add wine and Alchermes mixture, vanilla, and peanut butter (or butter).
- Knead until smooth.
- If you use peanut butter, the shortcrust pastry does not have to rest. Otherwise wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180C degrees (356F).
- Roll out the dough to a height of about 3 mm and make circles 6 cm in diameter.
- In the center of each circle, arrange 1/2 teaspoon cherry jam, then close the dough on itself, forming a half moon.
- Use your fingers to press down on the edges to gently seal them.
- Mix alchermes and water in a glass.
- Brush the surface with the mixture, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges become lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Store in the cookie box for ten days.
