Sweet or salty ricotta triangles

I'm always curious about new pastry dough recipes, but when it's got cheese, I have to try it. I buy ricotta regularly now, because when I don't, it seems like everything I want to make calls for it. Italian recipes like the white "re-cooked" (ri-cotta) cheese.

When the cheese in the fridge has to go and I abandon my original plan, I'm determined to come up with another. Sometimes better than plan A. Like these ricotta triangles. The pastry is beautiful, a little flaky, light. It tastes like ricotta, which by itself is as basic as butter. And as good as butter when incorporated with something else.

Ricotta triangles can be a dessert or an appetizer. You can't go wrong with this dough and you can't go wrong with the filling. My favorites were with Nutella and plum preserves. Better than with only preserves or only Nutella. The chocolate spread makes the filling creamy, preserves add a little sour and juicy kick to the bite. When it comes to the salty version, I used ham, some yellow cheese and olives. I didn't add any watery vegetables, I didn't want any water in the triangle. 

The pastry recipe didn't even call for a pinch of salt. The dough is very neutral, less complicated and quicker than short pastry. You can make a sweet and salty treat at the same time. Which one do I eat first?

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano
time: 1hr + 30 min inactive + 30 min baking = 2 hours
makes about 20 triangles

ingredients

• 175 g (1 1/2 stick) cold butter
• 300 g (2 cups)  flour
• 250 g (9 oz) ricotta cheese
• Nutella

• fruit preserves
• ham, diced
• cheese, diced
• olive, sliced
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

instructions

1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, sift in flour, add butter and ricotta. Using a paddle attachment, mix all the ingredients till just combined and mass forms. Form a ball. Wrap it in a plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 205C/400F (static function). Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Take cold dough from the fridge. On a rolling board, using a rolling pin, roll half of the dough till about 2 mm (.08 inch) thin. Put the rest of dough back in the fridge. Cut 10x10cm (4x4 inch) squares. Apply about 1-2 teaspoons of a filling. Using your finger or a small brush, spread egg on the edges of the squares. Close them diagonally. Transfer onto a prepared baking sheet. Brush with whisked egg. Repeat with the rest. 
4. Place two sheets in the oven, one in the top 1/3, the other bottom 1/3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, switching and rotating sheets half way through baking. They should be golden in shade. Wait till they cool a bit, so the filling won't spill out too fast.