Lobster Tail vs Sfogliatelle: Key Differences & Recipes!

lobster tail

There is nothing more compelling than the smell of freshly baked pastry. Whenever you walk past a bakery or make something at home, there is no hesitation; you need to try it while it is still fresh and hot.

The list of pastries is endless. And on that list, you can find Lobster tail and Sfogliatelle.

Dangerously tasty, they should be on your list of baking goods you should try in your life. Italian American pastry, with an exciting look and even more fantastic taste.

As their names suggest, they have a distinguished design, and you can easily spot them.

Crunchy, filled with light and creamy filling, the lobster tail consists of crisp with shell-made layers. In the middle, there’s a cream puff dough filled with whipped cream.

Sfogliatelle is very similar. However, the dough is rolled up, sliced into coins, then placed together to create a cone filled with ricotta.

However, they might look similar due to the filling inside and look, but they are pretty different. But, just by the way they are made and filled, Lobster tail and Sfogliatelle are not the same.

The main difference is in the filling, shape, and origin.

The Lobster tail is the American version, and Sfogliatelle is the Italian. The way they’re made and the texture are quite different.

Read below to learn more about these two pastries’ differences and similarities.

Lobster tail vs. Sfogliatelle: What’s the Difference?

Before we conclude about the differences and similarities between the Lobster tail and Sfogliatelle, we need to learn more about them. 

Lobster Tail

The fantastic American-made pastry, Lobster tail, just as the name suggests, looks like a lobster’s tail. It has a beautiful taste and delicate cream filling.

The main components of the perfect Lobster tail pastry are a crispy texture shell, which has many crunchy layers; a lovely cream inside of the dough is made from whipped cream.

A breathtaking sweet pie that comes as the ideal dessert after a good meal. It can be used for family gatherings or whenever you feel like you are in for this kind of pastry.

The crunchy taste of the pie is served while it is still warm, so you can experience every bite as you should. The aroma and filling make the appearance and doing even harder to resist. 

You can buy Lobster tail pastry at any pastry shop, and you can choose a filling. No need to worry; you can purchase frozen dough and make the filling at home.

For those purposes, since it’s nothing impossible, you always have the best recipe here to make the pastry at home. Gather the ingredients, and it’s time for baking. 

Lobster Tail Recipe

You can enjoy the Lobster tail at home at any time. Gather the ingredients listed below and follow the steps:

Ingredients for Pastry shells:

  • 500 grams flour (adjust accordingly based on what type of flour you use)
  • 50 grams of sugar
  • 200 ml of water
  • Add 150 grams of shortening to build up the dough

Cream puff dough ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter (1 cup)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 cups of flour
  • eight large eggs

Ingredients for whipped cream filling:

  • one tablespoon of vanilla
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • 420 gr powdered sugar
  • Ricotta cheese

How it’s made:

You should divide the making process into three days to bake it and make it the best. 

For the first day, mix the dough and refrigerate it overnight. The second day is reserved for the dough to be put in thin layers and rolled into an excellent long form.

You can grease up and wrap them up and refrigerate them again. And lastly, on the third day, your lobster tail pastry will come to a wrap. Make the filling and prepare for baking.

Instructions

Day 1:

The pastry dough is made from the ingredients all mixed. Make sure that you mix them properly so the texture can be firm. Put it in an airtight bag and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Day 2:

After the dough is left overnight,  you need to cut the dough into four pieces. Flour each piece and double the size. Use a pasta machine to roll the dough pieces.

Add shortening on one side of the dough and move them into rolls. Make sure that each work is done the same way. 

It would help if you mixed flour and salt in a bowl for the cream puff. The butter needs to be melted and the water heated until it reaches a boiling point.

Remove everything from the heat and add the eggs. Once everything is mixed together, could you place them in the fridge? 

Day 3:

The last day is reserved for the whipping cream. Add half of the heavy cream and combine it with the vanilla and powdered sugar, and you need to whip it until all is mixed together.

Add the rest of the heavy cream with the ricotta, and then both mixtures are combined to create the perfect whip cream. 

Your last step is to remove the dough rolls from the fridge, bake them and fill them up. Everything is set on a baking sheet on a baking pan.

The oven needs to be preheated to 450 degrees. The baking process is 15 min at 450 degrees, and then the temperature is reduced to 350 for 20 more minutes.

Make sure that the pastry has a brown color and that they are baked. They need to cool down before filling. After they are done and served, sprinkle sugar on top.

Extra Tips

Besides this filling, you can try others like whipped cream with chocolate, hazelnut cream, or others that come to mind. 

  1. Start with a higher heat temperature and then reduce. 
  2. The flour is vital for good Crips. The dough rolls need to be very thin and wide.
  3. Bake until they are golden brown. 

Sfogliatelle

Sfogliatelle Pastry

The Italian pastry, originally from Naples, is the most incredible pastry you will eat.

The name itself means layers of leaves, just as the pastry is formed. It is made from dough like a pie crust and made into rolls like a cylinder. Inside there is a cream with ricotta cheese with candied orange.

It seems simple and easy, and you can find this pastry at some traditional Italian bakeries. It is served warm to increase and make the taste even better. 

Homemade Sfogliatelle Recipe

And, of course, we need the homemade version of the Sfogliatelle. Shell looks like pastry with a nice whipped cream inside, the perfect pie for any party or gathering.

Wrap it all up with these creamy, heavenly pastries with the recipe below:

What you need is:

For the dough:

  • 500 gr of flour
  • one tablespoon of salt
  • 175 ml of water (increase if necessary)
  • honey

For the filling:

  • 450 ml milk
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • Salt
  • 150 gr semolina flour
  • 500 gr ricotta
  • one large egg
  • Teaspoon of vanilla
  • 50 gr candied orange

How it’s made:

Mostly a one-day process, Sfogliatelle is made by combining the ingredients for the dough. Flour and salt, with the addition of water and honey, to create a nice dough. After all, is made, keep the dough in the fridge wrapped for 30 min. 

Your next step is to split the dough into four pieces. Keep a pasta machine next to you and roll the dough through it.

Make sure they are widely spread, then fold them in half and roll again. Repeat the process with each dough piece.

Roll the thin layers into a tight sausage shape. Layer them up to create a cylinder and leave them to chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours until the pastry is firm enough. 

The filling is the last but not the minor part. The milk, sugar, and salt are in a saucepan on the heater. Keep them until the mixture boils.

Your next move is the semolina flour until the mixture is smooth and thick. Cool it off and place it in a bowl. The rest of the ingredients are added inside, and the cream is entirely made. 

Before filling the Sfogliatelle, you have to bake the dough. The oven is preheated at 375 degrees.

The rolls have a hole inside to make them hollow. Bake until they are fully baked for at least 30 min. 

Lastly, fill them up after cooling down and sprinkle some sugar.

Related Questions

Is Sfogliatelle The Same As A Lobster Tail?

Lobster tail is the American version of Sfogliatelle. There is a difference in the filling and the shape of how they are made, which makes people make a difference in between. 

What Does Sfogliatelle Mean in Italian?

Sfogliatelle in Italian means small, thin layered. The texture of the pastry is like stacked leaves that give the pie’s name. The American version of this pastry is Lobster tail pastry. 

What Does Sfogliatelle Taste Like?

The warm, creamy, delicious dough with a fruity taste will leave you breathless. Powdered with sugar, you will only want to eat one more after one bite. 

What is The Pastry They Eat in The Sopranos?

In the most iconic TV show, the Sopranos, they eat Sfogliatelle, the most incredible pastry, which got even more fame after the TV show.

Wrap Up

To conclude, since both pastries are a version of one another. Different origins are differently placed dough layers, and of course, the filling is what makes them different.

Even though the Lobster tail is the American version of Sfogliatelle, both pastries are puffed up and have an incredible taste with a sprinkle of sugar.

The whip cream and crispiness make them unique, and of course, do not hesitate to try and even make them at home.

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