Sfogliatelle means many leaves or layers and this crisp pastry’s texture resembles leaves stacked on each other. Sfogliatelle look like seashells when baked.
Some people also call them ‘lobster tails’ for their resemblance to the same.
The characteristic ridges form as the layers of dough separate during baking. The pastries are filled with a ricotta cream, semolina, and cinnamon mixture.Lemon zest or candied orange bits are also sometimes added. This is a recipe for sfogliatelle pastry dough but you can substitute purchased puff pastry dough.
The recipe also calls for using lard, which gives a flakier consistency, but you may wish to use margarine in its place. Making sfogliatelle is a time-consuming process. If you are up for a challenge this is the recipe to try.
