Mother's Day with Two Iconic Symbols of Italian Heritage

Pamela Marasco
May 1
3 min read

Updated: May 2

The artist and a little "two bite" Italian pastry, two iconic symbols of Italian heritage.

The Artist

Sandro Botticelli was a Renaissance artist known for his masterpieces of maternal love. He was nicknamed Botticelli which means “little barrels” by his family. A special fondness for his mother must have inspired Botticelli to create many of the paintings of women and mothers for which he is well known. Commentaries on his work note that there is a warmth and tenderness between mother and child that is distinctive of Botticelli.

The artist and a little "two bite" Italian pastry are two iconic symbols of Italian heritage that find the perfect place in our thoughts for Mother's Day. An Italian inspired Mother's Day that celebrates a significant part of Italian culture and living where Mothers are still the center of the universe and Italian children and husbands happily orbit around them enjoying the attention and unconditional love of la mamma.

The Pastry

Bocconotti are nostalgic Italian cookies that are an excellent choice for Mother's Day.

You can bake up a batch for a special dessert or for gift giving. They are elegant, bite-sized pastries that carry a deep sense of tradition and home-baked love. Made in the shape of a coffee cup covered with a small lid of pastry, they can be filled with a variety of fillings; custard, chocolate, jams or preserves. We're making these one bite wonders for Mother's Day with fillings that make each one special, filling a batch with Il Colle del Gusto Noccioliva Hazelnut and Cocoa Spread and another with

L' Ancienne Morello Cherry Preserves.

Recipe for Bocconotti

2 cups "00" or all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter, cold and cut into ½” cubes

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

1 jar of Noccioliva Hazelnut and Cocoa Spread

1 jar of L' Ancienne Morello Cherry Preserves

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Turn the mixer to low to combine the ingredients. Add the chilled cubed butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter becomes the size of small peas. Add the egg, and then the egg yolk, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl using a spatula and continue to mix on medium-low just until the dough comes together to form a ball. To keep the pastry light and flaky avoid over mixing.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form it into a round disk about 1” thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 24 mini tart molds or mini muffin pans with cooking spray, or butter. Break off a tablespoon of chilled dough and form it into a ball. Press the dough into the base of the mini tart mold or muffin tin and evenly press it up against the sides. Trim off any excess dough using a paring knife. Repeat with the remaining molds.

Make the egg wash: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Set aside. Fill each tartlet with a rounded tablespoon of filling and lightly brush the edges of the tartlets with the egg wash using a pastry brush.

Take the remaining dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to ¼” thickness. Using a shot glass (or a 2” pastry cutter), cut out 24 tart “lids.” Place the lids over the filled tartlets and press the dough around the edges of the molds to seal the cookies.Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Serve with a cup of coffee made with Moriondo slow roasted Italian style coffee beans from CosituttiMarketPlace.