Pantelleria's Baci Panteschi: the recipe for fried sweets filled with ricotta cream, typical of Pantelleria
Baci Panteschi are typical sweets from the island of Pantelleria, in Sicily: in fact, they are also known as "baci di Pantelleria".
- Flour 00, 175 gr
- Eggs, 150 g
- Whole milk, 125 g
- Baking powder, 3 g
- Salt, 1 pinch
- Sheep's milk ricotta, 1 kg
- Chocolate chips, 180 g
- Icing sugar, 115 g
- Cinnamon powder, to taste
- Powdered sugar, to taste
- Peanut oil, to taste
- To prepare the Pantelleria kisses, start with the batter: mix the eggs and milk in a bowl until you obtain a smooth mixture. Then, add the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt (1).
- Mix everything together until you obtain a smooth batter (2). Cover it with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Take care of the filling: place the sheep ricotta, the icing sugar and the cinnamon (3) in a bowl, then mix everything together.
- Add the chocolate chips (4) and mix them well.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag (5) and place it in the refrigerator.
- To make the wafers, first heat plenty of peanut oil in a tall-sided pan. Hold the Baci Panteschi mould in the hot oil at 170-175°C for 1 minute (6).
- Dip the tool into the well-rested batter twice, being careful not to cover the top (7).
- At this point, dip the mold into the boiling oil and keep it immersed until the batter begins to swell and come away on its own (8). If necessary, gently detach the pancake with the prongs of a fork.
- Cook the pancake for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown (9). Then, drain it on kitchen paper and proceed in the same way, making other pancakes until the batter is used up.
- Let the wafers cool completely (10): it is important that they are not hot when you fill them, because the heat could compromise the consistency of the cream.
- Once completely cold, fill them with the ricotta cream (11).
- Finally, arrange other wafers on the filling, so as to form the "kisses" (12). Gradually, arrange them on a serving plate and, finally, sprinkle them with icing sugar.
- The Panteschi kisses are ready to be served (13).
These golden, crispy fritters, with their distinctive flower-shaped corolla, are made with a batter of eggs, milk, yeast, and flour, cooked by immersing them in boiling oil using a special iron. Once ready, they are then filled, two at a time, with a creamy filling of sheep's ricotta and powdered sugar, flavored with ground cinnamon and topped with chocolate chips. Their flavor and preparation are reminiscent of the more famous Sicilian cannoli.
Spectacular and delicious, Baci Panteschi are perfect dusted with powdered sugar and served as a snack or as a happy ending to a meal, accompanied by a glass of good Passito di Pantelleria.
How to prepare Pantelleria kisses
To prepare Pantelleria Baci, start with the batter: in a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until smooth. Then, add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix everything together until you get a smooth batter. Cover it with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: place the sheep's ricotta, icing sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl, then mix everything together.
Add the chocolate chips and mix them well.
To make the wafers, first heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a tall pan. Place the Baci Panteschi mold in the hot oil at 170-175°C for 1 minute.
Cook the pancake for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Then, drain it on kitchen paper and proceed in the same way, making other pancakes until you run out of batter.
Finally, arrange more wafers on the filling, so as to form the "kisses". As you go, arrange them on a serving plate and, finally, sprinkle them with icing sugar.