Minne di Sant’Agata (Sicilian Pastries)

Minne di Sant’Agata are the most delicious little Sicilian pastries made with a simple pasta frolla (pastry dough) and creamy sweet ricotta filling with chocolate chips and candied fruit. The pastries are topped with a simple icing glaze and candied cherries, so delicious and perfect with coffee!

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Minne di Sant’Agata, are symbolic Sicilian pastries that pay tribute to Saint Agatha, who was martyred in the third century for staying true to her faith.

I first tried these pastries in Palermo when we visited a convent called Santa Caterina. Inside the convent, there’s a bakery run by nuns where you can buy all kinds of traditional cakes and desserts. It was an incredible experience and I was unbelievably excited to pick up their famous cannoli and a couple of these beautiful pastries.

They’re made with a simple pasta frolla, I adapted our original pasta frolla recipe to add a little more richness and make it slightly softer which is needed to achieve the dome shape. Inside, they’re filled with sweet and creamy ricotta, chocolate chips and candied fruit, which is such a classic and delicious flavour.

The pastries are topped with a simple glazed icing and a candied cherry. The dome shape is no coincidence and is a nod to Saint Agatha’s tragic story, if you’re interested, you can read more about the history of Sant’Agata here.

I hope you enjoy these little pastries as much as we do, they’re perfect for breakfast with a cappuccino in the morning or as a delicious dessert.

1. Make the pastry – put all the pastry ingredients into a food processor and blitz to form a dough. Knead it briefly to form a ball, then press it into a round flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 minutes (photo 1-4).

2. Make the filling – add the ricotta and powdered sugar to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and candied fruit. Refrigerate until needed (photos 5-8).

3. Cut out the pastries – roll the pastry dough out on a light floured surface to 2-3mm thick. Cut out 6 large circles with a 3 inch cutter and use them to line your dome shaped silicone mould (photos 9 and 10).
4. Fill – spoon the ricotta filling into each pastry, keeping a little space at the top (photo 11).

5. Seal and bake – cut out smaller circles for the tops (2.5 inches). Place them on top of each pastry and press the edges together to seal them. Trim off any excess. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes (photo 12).
6. Cool – let the pastries cool for 5-10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Decorate – once cooled, mix the powdered sugar and milk together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Pour the icing over each pastry and place a cherry on top. Let them set at room temperature, then serve (photos 13-16).