Corsican Canistrelli are dry and crunchy cookies, traditionally made without butter and without eggs, representing the most authentic essence of Corsican pastry, a heritage rooted in ancient agro-pastoral traditions of the Mediterranean.
They were made to ensure long-lasting energy sustenance for shepherds and sailors, thanks to the complete absence of perishable animal fats and the skillful use of white wine and oil.
The aroma of anise seeds, a symbol of simplicity and freshness, gives this dry shortbread an unmistakable olfactory signature that evokes the landscapes of the Mediterranean scrub.
Traditionally, a local dry white wine is used in Corsica. The most iconic and widespread grape variety for this preparation is the Vermentinu (Corsican Vermentino), which gives canistrelli their typical floral and mineral notes.
Historically born as “travel cookies” for shepherds and sailors, these sweets take on a fundamental celebratory significance during the Carnival period, but they are consumed all year round.
Canistrelli are linked to Maundy Thursday (Easter period), when they were blessed during religious processions.
The term Canestrello (or Canistrellu in Corsican) represents one of the most fascinating cases of “gastronomic migration” in the Mediterranean.
The name derives from the Latin canistrum, which referred to the wicker basket where these sweets were left to cool after baking or given as gifts during processions.
Corsican Canistrelli should not be confused with other namesakes, such as those from Sardinia.
This is my gluten-free version with a mix of rice and corn flour.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 45 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: Easter, Carnival
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups rice flour
- 2 cups corn flour
- 1/3 cup gluten-free potato starch
- 3/4 cup sugar (+ for finishing)
- 1 packet gluten-free baking powder
- 2 tbsp anise seeds
- 7 tbsp seed oil
- 1/2 cup white wine (Corsican or Sardinian Vermentino)
Steps
The Dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, baking powder, salt, and anise seeds.
The Liquids: Make a well in the center and pour in the oil and white wine. Start kneading with your hand until you get a homogeneous ball (do not overwork it, it should remain somewhat rustic).
Rolling: Roll out the dough on parchment paper to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Use the parchment paper to help.
Cutting: With a knife (or a wheel cutter), cut squares or rectangles about 1 1/2 – 2 inches.
Baking: Bake in a preheated static oven at 355°F for about 20-25 minutes. They should be well golden.Finishing: Sprinkle the surface with plenty of granulated sugar.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the other canistrelli or canestrelli besides the Corsican ones?
1. Canestrelli of Carloforte (Sardinia)
Typical Carnival sweets, they are large soft rings flavored with fennel. Their peculiarity is the double cooking (boiling and baking) and the rich white glaze (sàgapa) with colorful sprinkles.
2. Ligurian Canestrelli (Genoa and Sassello)
Daisy-shaped shortbreads with a hole in the center, made with a rich shortcrust pastry of butter and hard-boiled yolks (ovis mollis). They are famous for their extreme friability and thick layer of powdered sugar.
3. Canestrelli of Taggia (Liguria)
Unlike the others, these are savory. They are similar to braided taralli, made with flour, water, and a lot of Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil, ideal for accompanying an aperitif.
4. Piedmontese Canestrelli (Biella and Novara)
Very thin and crispy waffles cooked between two hot iron plates that imprint a lattice design. They are often made of two waffles joined by a layer of chocolate and hazelnuts.
5. Canestrelli of Dorgali (Sardinia)
High-class Sardinian pastry: shortcrust discs finely decorated by hand with royal icing. They are ceremonial sweets served during weddings and religious festivals in Barbagia.
6. Canestrelli (Shellfish)
In the seafood context, the term refers to the mollusk Mimachlamys varia. Similar to a small scallop, it is a noble ingredient of Venetian cuisine, often served au gratin or with pasta.
The common root is the basket (from the Greek kánastron).
Shape: Many variations recall the weave of baskets or have scalloped edges reminiscent of wickerwork.
Preservation: In the past, dry cookies were placed in straw baskets to allow air circulation and preserve them for a long time.
Linguistic Affinity: Corsican (Canistrellu), Ligurian (Canestrello), and Sardinian (Canestreddu) share the same Latin matrix, testifying to the millennia-old commercial and cultural exchanges between these regions.Are there also Corsican canestrelli with hazelnuts instead of anise?
The version with hazelnuts (canistrelli à la noisette) is one of the most beloved and widespread variants, especially in the Castagniccia region, famous for its orchards.
Tradition calls for adding them coarsely chopped (not ground), so there’s a crunchy piece under the teeth. Some even leave a few whole for aesthetics.
But anise wins the title of “most traditional” version for several reasons.
Origin: Canistrelli were born as a low-cost, long-lasting food. Anise seeds were cheap, easy to find, and acted as a natural preservative, as well as providing a freshness that “cleaned” the palate.
Spread: While hazelnuts are typical of specific areas (like Castagniccia), anise is the universal ingredient found in every oven on the island, from Bastia to Ajaccio.
“Historic” Flavor: The dry flavor of white wine combined with anise is considered the original aromatic profile of the Corsican cookie.
While hazelnuts, although ancient in Corsican cuisine, arrived in canistrelli as a “rich” and delicious variant. Today they are as popular as those with anise, but if you want to make the cookie that a Corsican shepherd from a hundred years ago would have put in his bag, the correct choice is anise.
