If you scroll all the way down my Instagram feed, you’ll see a couple of posts about these cookies with the caption: “My kitchen is slowly turning into a bakery”. That was 2014, right before I started this blog. I made these cookies SO MANY TIMES since then, and I only now realize they never made it to this blog. How did I let that happen???
These Jam-filled Pasta Frolla Cookies are definitely a classic. You’ll find them in any Italian pastry shop, more commonly shaped in a circle and, right for this reason, they’re traditionally known as “Occhi Di Bue” (Ox’s Eyes or Bull’s Eyes). Since I made these for Valentine’s Day this year, may we just call these “Heart-shaped sandwich pasta frolla cookies filled with jam”? Too long, too descriptive, and not as metaphorical. Darn.
Well, I’m a huge fan of jam-filled tarts, and to me these cookies are like a miniature, portable version of a crostata alla marmellata. Buttery, sweet and tart — they’re among my top pastries to choose from when I have coffee or breakfast with a friend, and they’re my go-to recipe when I want to gift somebody a homemade sweet. Whether you want to cut out circles or hearts, or you want to fill it with jam or hazelnut spread or chocolate ganache, they’re going to be loved! Trust me.
PASTA FROLLA IS NOT PASTA! WHAT IS IT, THEN?
Pasta Frolla is the pastry dough that’s used for crostate (tarts), biscotti (cookies), and many other kinds of pastries. It’s considered one of the basic preparations in Italian pastry making and it’s simply made with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
There are several recipes for pasta frolla and every household seems to have a favorite kind. Variations in temperature (cold butter vs. softened butter), and type of ingredients (granulated sugar vs. powdered sugar; yolk vs. whole eggs) will yield different results, especially in texture. Without going too much into detail, there are a couple of things to which you should pay attention when making pasta frolla:
- Don’t work the dough too much or too little. If you overwork it, the gluten in the flour will develop too much and you’ll obtain a tough dough. If you don’t work it enough, it won’t cook evenly.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour (better if two, and even better overnight!). This will help the sugars and fats stabilize, and the dough will become more manageable and pliable.
- Lightly flour the surface on which you’ll work the dough to prevent it from sticking. Work the dough quickly, while it’s still chilly.
MY FAVORITE PASTA FROLLA RECIPE: FROLLA MILANO!
I’ve fiddled with several recipes over the years, but I found myself making a particular one over and over again: it’s Frolla Milano by pastry chef Iginio Massari. I particularly like it because of how beautifully it rolls out — rarely do I get tears when I roll it and it just looks compact (think play dough!).
Powdered sugar, honey and softened butter all play an important role. The powdered sugar easily disperses into the dough, yielding a finer texture, while the honey gives the dough a nice golden color and helps the dough bake more evenly. The soft-but-not-too-soft butter also contributes to getting a perfect texture — not too crunchy and not too crumbly.
These heart-shaped cookies are super easy to make. Once you’ve made the dough (which you can make in advance), just glue two cookies together with a bit of jam. A nice sprinkle of powdered sugar and you’re done!
What a sweet perfect Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) treat! I hope you enjoy making these little jam-filled pasta frolla cookies just as much as I did!
If you make this recipe and you share it on Instagram, please don’t forget to tag me with @veryeatalian! Thank you!! For more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out my Strawberry Tiramisu, my Classic Tiramisu, and my Baci di Dama!
Jam-filled Pasta Frolla Cookies
I warn you, these little cookies tend to disappear rather quickly. Buttery, sweet, yet tart, they’re made with “Frolla Milano”, a particular type of Pasta Frolla. The original recipe is from pastry chef Iginio Massari.
Ingredients
- 200 g butter First cut in small cubes, then softened (see notes)
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 40 g acacia honey
- 2 g salt
- 1 tsp water
- 1 yolk
- the seeds of a vanilla bean
- 300 g Italian “00” flour or pastry flour sifted
- cherry or strawberry jam for filling
Instructions
PASTA FROLLA “MILANO”
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IN THE BOWL of a stand mixer, combine the “soft-but-not-too-soft” butter, the powdered sugar and the acacia honey. Mix at LOW SPEED, using a paddle attachment, until all ingredients are well incorporated (make sure you don’t whip the butter). Stop the mixer.
In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the water and then pour the mixture into the mixing bowl. Add the yolk and the vanilla seeds as well. Turn on the mixer again and mix at low speed.
Gradually add the sifted flour, and keep mixing until the flour is well incorporated. Stop the mixer and test the dough: it’s ready when it feels soft but not sticky.
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TRANSFER the dough onto a clean surface and shape it into a disk. Wrap it with a piece of parchment paper and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours (or even better, overnight).
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HEAT the oven to 180 C/ 360 F. You’ll need to work in batches, so have a couple of baking trays ready. Roll the dough into a thin layer (2-3 mm / 1/8 inch) directly on a sheet of parchment paper dusted with flour. Cut out your cookies and transfer the sheet with the cookies back on the tray.
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BAKE for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
ASSEMBLE COOKIES
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SPREAD a bit of jam (see notes) on top of one cookie and sandwich it with another one. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- BUTTER: Your butter must be soft, but not too soft. It should be a bit cooler than room temperature.
- JAM: To get a lump-less jam filling, warm up a few tablespoons of jam in a small sauce pan and then strain it. Once the strained jam has cooled off, it’s ready to be used.
Pasta frolla used for a crostatta is very typical in my country, Uruguay, and in Argentina too, due to the massive italian immigration in the begings of the last century. And just like you pointed, every household has their own very cherished recipe, but it’s also a treat that you can find in every bakery in both countries. I never though of using the dough for “espejitos” or “lunettes” but I LOVE using left over batter from the crostatta for cookies! Definitely to try!
Hi Renata! Thanks for dropping a note! Yes, Pasta Frolla is perfect for crostatas…and cookies, too! I don’t know espejitos…Is there any chance you can share a recipe for them? 🙂