Italian Nut-Filled Sticks (Sfratti)

ingredients

• Pastry:
• 3 cups pastry or bleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, chilled
  1/2 cup whipped butter
  1/3 cup hydrogenated fat
  1/3 cup margarine
  4 tablespoons olive oil
• About 2/3 cup sweet or dry white wine
• Filling:
• 1 cup (1 1/2 cups) honey
• 2 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 cups) walnuts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 dash freshly grated black pepper
• Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

directions

To make the pastry: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a little wine over a section of the flour, then mix with a fork to moisten. Push the moistened dough aside and continue adding enough wine until the dough just holds together. Divide in half. Using your fingertips, lightly press and knead into balls. Flatten into discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature until malleable but not soft.

To make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Be careful, it may foam up. Add the remaining filling ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is cool enough to handle but not set. Pour onto a floured surface, divide into 6 equal portions, and shape the portions into 14 inch-long sticks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease.

On a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap or on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 14 by-12 inch rectangle, then cut each rectangle lengthwise into 3 14 by-14 inch rectangles. Place a nut strip near a long side of each rectangle and roll up from the filling side. Cut into 2 inch sticks. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between the cookies, and brush with the egg wash.

Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Wrap in aluminum foil until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

VARIATIONS

Oil Pastry: Substitute 1/3 cup vegetable oil for the butter and combine it with the wine.