Pasticciotti are the undisputed stars of the Salento patisserie. These delicious shortcrust pastry cakes with a heart of custard are also perfect for breakfast!

Difficult level: easy
Preparation time: 40 min
Cooking time: 35 min
Servings: 15 pieces (size about 3 cm high and 7 cm long)

INGREDIENTS
For the shortbread
- 00 Flour 500 gr
- Butter 250 gr
- Yolks 4
 -Vanilla bean 1
- Icing sugar 200 gr

For the filling
- 00 Flour 50 gr
- Milk 500 ml
- Yolks 6
- Vanilla bean 1
- Sugar 150 gr
- Black cherries in syrup

For the brushing
- Yolk 1
- Liquid fresh cream 3 tbsp

PREPARATION
1. Prepare the custard by heating milk over low heat with vanilla bean.
2. Beat yolks with sugar and add sifted flour: add this mixture to milk and mix over low heat with a whisk. Thicken the custard and let it cool, then put it in the refrigerator covering it with plastic wrap.
3. In the meantime, prepare the pastry: put flour and small pieces of butter in the mixer and blend, until you obtain a firm dough and move it to the pastry board. Add sugar, seeds of vanilla pod, yolks and knead quickly until you obtain a compact dough. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.
4. When pastry is ready, spread it on a floured surface using a rolling pin, until you reach a thickness of about half a centimeter.
5. Line with shortcrust pastry the specific oval-shaped molds, previously buttered and floured.
6. Fill each mold with 2 spoons of cream and a black cherry. Then, cover with shortcrust pastry and adjust the edges of molds with a knife.
7. To brush the surface of pasticciotti and make them shiny, use a beaten egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of fresh cream.
8. At this point, place molds on baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven at 180 ° for 30/35 minutes.
9. When they are golden brown, take them out of the oven, let them cool down a bit and enjoy while still hot ... truly delightful! You can also eat pasticciotti in the following three days, keeping them refrigerated in a box.