Neapolitan migliaccio: the original Campania Carnival candy recipe

He Neapolitan milestone it’s a sweet Carnival typical of kitchen bellperfect for serving on the occasion of Mardi Gras as well as the inevitable chiacchiere, graffe and other mouth-watering typical carnival sweets. It’s about a Semolina Cake soft, creamy and fragrant thanks to the presence of orange and lemon peel in the dough, which is made with simple ingredients such as cottage cheese, eggs, butter and sugar. A classic grandmother’s recipe really easy to prepare, which will conquer young and old with its delicate taste but aromatic and the consistency reminiscent of polentaalthough it is even more moist and melting.

Its origins are quite old: the milaccio is a dessert of peasant tradition Neapolitan prepared since the Middle Ages, whose recipe is passed down from generation to generation, although it has been slightly modified over time. Indeed, in antiquity, the milea cereal whose flour was often present in bad preparations, whereas today the semolina, produced by grinding the durum wheat semolina usually used to prepare Roman gnocchi. The medieval peasant tradition also provided for the addition of pig’s blood, but, as happened with blood sausage, the custom was lost over time and this ingredient was replaced by sugar and eggs.

The name of the dessert, which comes from Latin militia and refers to what was once the main ingredient, has remained unchanged over time, although in some areas of Campania migliaccio is also known as “sfogliata”, since the ingredients needed to make it are the same as the filling of Neapolitan puffs, both curly and shortbread.

We offer you the original recipe Neapolitan sweet miles, prepared from semolina cream which is obtained by gently cooking semolina with milk, butter and orange and lemon zest; once ready, it will be mixed with the ricotta and the eggs whipped with the sugar.

Ready in less than half an hour, the mileage needs an hour of cooking to reach its characteristic consistency: to have it high, choose a pan with high edges and not too wide, and let it cool completely before to cut it, so that it doesn’t break.

Find out how to prepare it by following our recipe step by step, and also try the chocolate version or the irresistible salted millet stuffed with provola and salami.

How to prepare Neapolitan mileccio

To prepare the Neapolitan milleccio, start by making the semolina cream: in a saucepan, heat the milk and water, without reaching the boiling point. Immediately add the whole lemon and orange zest, so that they release all their aroma, then, as soon as the liquid is hot, remove them using tongs 1.

Add the butter and mix until it melts completely, then pour in the semolina, continuing to mix 2.

Mix with a hand whisk and cook over low heat for about 4/5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken 3: you will understand that it is ready when it takes on a consistency similar to that of polenta, unctuous and quite dense. Then transfer it to an ovenproof dish, cover it with transparent film and let it cool to room temperature in order to bring down the temperature of the cream.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until the mixture is fluffy and frothy 4.

Then add the ricotta, sifted through a small-hole sieve, the vanillin and the orange blossom flavoring, continuing to mix with a whisk. When the ricotta is perfectly mixed, add the now cold semolina cream to the mixture 5. At this stage, it is important that the semolina cream is cold, otherwise the finished dessert will have a strong egg taste.

Blend until smooth and creamy 6, then pour the mixture into a greased, floured and parchment-lined 26cm baking sheet. Level with a spatula and bake in a static oven at 200°C for 1 hour. If the surface becomes too dark during cooking, cover it with aluminum foil.

When the surface is well colored and effective cracked, slightly split, the mileage is ready: take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least two hours, so that it is easier to unmold and cut into slices without breaking it. Once cold, decorate with icing sugar and serve. 7.

Advice

If you prefer a stronger taste, replace the vaccine with ricotta Of sheepwhich must be very fresh and of excellent quality.

Instead of citrus zest, you can use them to flavor the dough cinnamonthere vanilla, a drop of limoncello or orange liqueur, for a very aromatic end result. You can also enrich the mileage with chocolate chips, candied fruit oh raisins soaked in water or rum then squeezed well.

storage

The mileage can be stored at room temperature for a day, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days covered with a transparent film.