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Pasta Frolla - Italian Sweet Pastry Dough

Servings: 1-9 Inch Torta With A Lattice Crust
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted
butter or lard, in chunks
2 large eggs


Instructions:
Nick Malgieri says that this multi-purpose dough is used almost universally for making pies and tarts in Italy, even for savory pies like pizza rustica. “Frolla” means friable—crumbly or cookie like—a texture quite unlike traditional American flaky pie dough but one, Nick says, that characterizes a good pasta frolla. Be sure to chill the dough for at least one hour before kneading and rolling.

1. In the food processor: Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in work bowl fitted with steel blade. Pulse several times to mix. Add butter or lard and pulse 8 to 10 times to mix. Add eggs and pulse until dough forms a ball.

2. By hand: Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir well to mix. Add butter and rub mixture between the palm of your hands until it forms fine crumbs. Add eggs and stir with a fork until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl. Form dough into a ball.

3. Wrap dough in plastic and chill until needed, up to several days. When ready to use, unwrap it, place it on a lightly floured work surface and knead it until it is soft and malleable.


Source: Diana Baker Woodall