Have you ever tried Sofficini? If the answer is no, either you weren’t a (Italian) kid in the 90s or the reason might be you know them as Crispy Pancakes. They are usually sold frozen, by a well known brand, and everyone – in Italy at least- has some emergency Sofficini stocks at home.
Sofficini are convenient, like all frozen food, since they can be cooked at the very last minute on a busy day. These crispy pancakes come with different fillings, and I trust I tried all of them: cheese, cheese and tomato, cheese and spinach, cheese and aubergines, cheese and ham… The only variety I managed to find in Scotland, though, was something completely unexpected: minced beef and onion. Like, seriously!?!?!?
Some time ago, Benedetta Rossi posted her recipe for the famous Sofficini, and I really had to try it out! The result was really outstanding: so similar to the original ones and yet much tastier. They are really easy to prepare and once ready, you can either bake or cook them in a frying pan. I strongly suggest to make some extra and freeze them, to have them always ready for those busy evenings when you need a quick fix.
You could literally fill them with anything you prefer. I used three different filling options: vegan, Spinach an Oaty Creamy Oat Faiche; vegetarian, Mozzarella and Tomato Sauce; and meaty, Mozzarella and Ham. Have fun creating your own version!
“Tu non hai fame?”- “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Che spettacolo di serata!” – “Such an amazing night!”
Carletto talking about Sofficini
Crispy Pancakes Three Ways
Equipment
- pot
- oven tray
- Pastry Rings or Ravioli Shaper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 500 ml Unsweetened Almond Milk or any other Milk
- 200 gr Plain Flour
- 1 tbsp Butter
- to taste Salt
- 2-3 Eggs
- as required Breadcrumbs 40 gr should be enough
For the Spinach and Oatly Creamy Oat Fraiche Filling
- 200 gr Cooked Spinach
- 1-2 tbsp Creamy Oat Fraiche
For the Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Filling
- 150 gr Tomato Passata with added Basil
- 50 gr Mozzarella
For the Ham and Mozzarella Filling
- 100 gr Ham cut into Cubes
- 50 gr Mozzarella
Instructions
How to prepare the external dough
- Pour the milk in a pot and warm it up with milk and salt, until boiling. Add the flour all together and quickly stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will quickly turn into a dense, irregular and lumpy dough. Move the pot out of the hob and let the dough cool down for 15/20 min.
- Once cooled, the dough will still be lumpy and uneven. Place it on a rolling sheet dusted with some flour and knead it until smooth and soft.
- Roll the dough into a 3 mm thick sheet. Do it on a sheet of baking paper, to make sure it does not stick. Cut out circles.
Filling and Breading
- Place your filling of choice in one half of each circle, fold the other half over it and seal them well by pressing the edges closed with your fingers. I added some small dough pieces at the top or the side of the sofficino in order to recognize the filling. Don't fill them too much, otherwise they'll break while breading or cooking.
- Beat the egg in a bowl and add salt to it and put the breadcrumbs in a separate plate.
- Dip each sofficino in the egg and then coat it well with breadcrumbs, pressing with your palm so the crumbs stick well to it.
- Shallow fry them in warm vegetable oil. Or bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes, but spray them with some extra virgin olive oil before baking them.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
20 servings per container
Calories86
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
3g
5%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Carbohydrate
9.8g
4%
- Dietary Fiber 0.6g 3%
- Sugars 0.5g
- Protein 4.7g 10%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
I do have a scientific mind, probably it’s the reason why I love to hide in the kitchen and start creating.
My cooking is healthy, fun and colorful… and really tasty!
What are you waiting for? Grab your apron and start creating with me!
