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Presnitz triestino
Presnitz: Trieste's Easter spiral of puff pastry and spiced dried-fruit filling
ItalianTrieste's pastry shops, many of them founded in the Habsburg years, sell presnitz all year but above all at Easter, when it sits on the table next to the sweet Easter breads. Unlike the yeasted gubana from inland Friuli, it is made from flaky puff pastry rolled thin around a long rope of nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and spice, then coiled into a flat spiral and baked crisp. Slices shatter into buttery flakes around a dense, aromatic centre. The filling is traditionally soaked in rum; orange juice is a good alcohol-free swap. Chef's tip: use all-butter puff pastry and check the label, since some brands use non-vegetarian fats.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
For the pastry
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Soak 2 ⅞ oz raisins in 2 tbsp dark rum for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Toast 1 ⅜ oz dry breadcrumbs in 1 oz butter in a pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until golden and crisp. Cool.
3 minStep 3: Chop 3 ½ oz walnuts, 1 ¾ oz blanched almonds and 1 ¾ oz hazelnuts finely, by hand or with a few short pulses in a processor, keeping a little texture.
Step 4: Mix the nuts with the crumbs, raisins and their soaking liquid, 1 oz pine nuts, 1 ⅜ oz candied orange peel, ⅔ oz dark chocolate, 2 ⅛ oz sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground cloves, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp orange zest.
Step 5: Beat 1 egg white lightly and stir it in, then squeeze the filling into a firm rope about 50 cm long on a sheet of baking paper. Chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll 11 ½ oz all-butter puff pastry on a surface dusted with 1 tbsp plain flour into a long strip about 55 × 12 cm.
Step 7: Lay the filling rope along one long edge and roll the pastry around it, overlapping by 2 cm. Press the seam closed. Common mistake: letting the pastry warm up; it goes sticky, tears and loses its puff. Chill for 10 minutes if it softens.
Step 8: Coil the roll loosely into a flat spiral on a lined tray, seam underneath, leaving a little space between the rings.
Step 9: Beat 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk and brush the pastry all over.
Step 10: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden, puffed and crisp; the base should sound crisp when tapped.
35 minStep 11: Cool on the tray for 20 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does presnitz triestino take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 85 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of dry breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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