Recipe: Rafioi With Carrot and Orange Preserves

Gabriella gave me a jar of her carrot preserves and her recipe for rafioi, folded-like-ravioli cookies that use her preserves as a filling. If you don't want to make your own carrot preserves, use any quality preserves or marmalade. The dough seemed improbable (no liquids?) but, to my surprise, worked.

For the carrot preserves:
    • 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
    • 1 pound grated carrots
    • 2 cups sugar
    • juice of 1 orange
    • 1 cup water

Juice the lemon. Chop the zest fine. Combine juice, zest and remaining ingredients and cook until thick.

For the rafioi:
    • 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
    • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
    • 1 cup grated carrots
    • carrot preserves (see above)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the pastry flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the carrots and combine well. Add the flour mixture and knead to form dough. Chill dough. Roll out on a floured surface—not too thin, and cut four-inch circles. Place a dab of preserves in the center of each circle, fold in half, pinch to close. Bake 15 minutes.

To read Faith's article about her journeys in northeastern Italy and the cooking of her host Agostino Devetak, click here.