Cinesini with cream

To prepare the cinesini, start with the shortcrust: on a pastry board (or in a bowl), place the flour, sugar 1, and baking powder 2. Mix the dry ingredients together, form a well in the center 3

and add the eggs inside 4; break them with a fork and beat them, trying to incorporate the flour 5; then add the extra virgin olive oil 6 and

knead with your hands 7 until you get a smooth and compact dough 8. Wrap it in plastic wrap 9 and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This shortcrust pastry remains very soft even after baking, so we do not recommend using it as a base for other preparations.

After the resting time, take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin 10 into a very thin sheet, about 1/5 inch thick, and using a round cutter with a diameter of 2 inches, cut out circles 11. You will get about 32 circles, which will make 16 cinesini; re-knead the pasta scraps and roll them out again to get more circles. Place the discs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, well spaced apart 12 and

bake them in a static oven, preheated, at 320°F for 10 minutes (if using a fan oven, 285°F for 6-7 minutes). The discs should remain light in color 13; take them out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the custard cream (for the detailed recipe card Pastry cream): heat the milk in a saucepan with half a vanilla bean and its seeds; beat the egg yolk and sugar with a whisk in a bowl, then add the flour (alternatively, you can use cornstarch). Remove the bean with tongs and pour the warmed milk into the mixture in a trickle 14, blending with the whisk. Return the mixture to the heat and stir continuously until the cream thickens 15. Transfer the custard cream to a bowl and let it cool, storing it with a sheet of plastic wrap in contact.

Once cooled, transfer the cream into a piping bag with a star nozzle and start assembling the cinesini: take a shortcrust disc, fill it with a swirl of cream 16, and place another shortcrust disc on top of the cream 17, pressing lightly to compact the dessert and slightly squeeze out the cream 18. Be sure to leave the smoothest side of the shortcrust discs on the outside for better aesthetic results.

Place the hazelnut crumbs (or other nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or walnuts) on a small plate and decorate the edges of the cinesini, rolling them in the crumbs that will stick to the cream 19. Keep the cinesini in the refrigerator until ready to serve, and before bringing them to the table, dust them with plenty of powdered sugar 20. Your cinesini with cream are now ready 21!