Apple Ravioli with Blackberry Compote

After the trials and tribulations of yesterdays attempts at using a pasta roller for the first time, I am glad to say the Apple Ravioli was a success. They looked cute, were crisp on the outside and the hot apple, honey & cinnamon filling was soft and sweet. Accompanied with a Blackberry Compote and a large spoon of vanilla ice cream, it was a light sweet delight! I served three per person and froze the rest (uncooked) in a freezer bag for a later date.

Ingredients:    (Makes about 16)

150g '00' flour
25g butter
25g caster sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange

3 tbsp. milk

oil for frying

For the filling:
1 large apple, chopped very finely
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp. runny honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Add all of the dough ingredients, apart from the milk, into a food processor to combine into a breadcrumb texture. Then add the milk, a tablespoon at a time to make a dough. Tip out onto a board and knead lightly to bring it all together. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge.

After half and hour, using a rolling pin or a pasta rolling machine, roll out as thinly as you can without the dough breaking. Using a 6cm cutter, make as many circles as you can.

Mix the apple filling ingredients in a bowl and with one of the dough circles into the palm of your hand, put about 1 tsp. into the centre of the circle. Wet the edges with a little milk and pop a second circle over to cover. Move the ravioli around in your fingers, pushing out any air and sealing the sides of the ravioli. Leave on a tea towel as you work and continue until all the circles have been used up.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pan until hot and adding about six at a time, fry the ravioli for about a minutes, turning during cooking with a slotted spoon. Drain on kitchen paper and serve piping hot, dusted with icing sugar.

For the blackberry compote, put 170g blackberries into a small pan, add 1 tsp. water and add sugar to taste (about 2-3 tbsp.). Leave on a low heat until blackberries beginning to break up, but still holding their shape and strain most of the liquid away. Chill until needed.

 

 

Pasta Not So Pronto

Its days like today that although I am aware of saying that I am a patient person - that I know for sure I actually am. Now, unless you come from the foothills of Calazo di Cadore or are very particular in your pasta - you have probably avoided a pasta rolling machine. I know there are many people who use them, true, but those people have either got a grandmother called Concetta - or they are just more dedicated than I have been in the past.

Yes I have made pasta. Lots of times - using a rolling pin and working my biceps as I roll. But it is difficult to get the pasta dough thin as its very elastic and bounces back all the time.

So at Christmas just gone, The Bloke decided that was what I needed and its been looking at me - unopened - until today.

I guess it would have helped if I had made the standard pasta dough...but no. I had to be clever and made a sweet pasta dough so I could made Apple Ravioli. I am glad to say it is done and the ravioli is sitting happily in the fridge waiting for tonight to be fried and served with a blackberry compote & clotted cream. (I cooked a test one - was lovely). But be warned. It takes a while to get the hang of it. Two and a half hours to be precise! In theory it seems easy enough, but it comes with more issues than Vogue.

The main problems were a] getting the dough to stay in a straight line with one hand while you wind the wheel with the other (this is easier if normal egg pasta dough as it is considerably more stable that the sweet version). And b] getting the filling not to push through the pasta. After much tutting and huffing, I re rolled the lot in the end and made it less thin than usual - a no. 6 instead of a no. 8, which as it turns out IS thin enough for this particular dough. I'll follow this up later with a photo (before they get demolished) and the recipe.

Next time - I'll give linguine a go!