The carnival mask cookies made with shortcrust pastry are a timeless sweet: lovely to look at and, above all, delightful to eat. This is a simple recipe, perfect for involving even the little ones in a creative afternoon. To cut the shortcrust I used specific mask-shaped cutters but, if you don’t have them, don’t worry! It’s very easy: just search online for “Carnival mask templates”, download the file, cut the cardboard and use it as a guide when cutting. The base I chose is an orange-scented shortcrust: the citrus aroma makes them delicious even plain, simply dusted with powdered sugar.
Now, hands on the dough and let’s start the Carnival magic!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 154.56 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.70 (g) of which sugars 7.62 (g)
- Proteins 2.76 (g)
- Fat 6.80 (g) of which saturated 4.23 (g)of which unsaturated 2.45 (g)
- Fibers 0.51 (g)
- Sodium 24.70 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients — Carnival mask cookies
- 3 1/3 cups 00 flour (Italian type 00 wheat flour; can use all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup (about 120 g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup butter (cold)
- 1 orange (zest + juice)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed edible sugar pearls
- as needed food coloring (gel or powder)
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Cutter
- 10 Sticks
Steps — Carnival mask cookies in shortcrust pastry
I kneaded the shortcrust pastry by hand, but you can also use a stand mixer if you prefer. Once the dough is ready, divide the ball into two parts and color one portion with the food coloring you like most. Work the colored dough with your hands until the color is evenly incorporated—use only powder or gel colorings. If the dough becomes too soft with gel coloring, just add a little more flour. Now let the pastry rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour so it firms up well.
After resting, take the dough out and let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes before rolling. Roll out a sheet to a thickness of about 5 mm (about 3/16 in) and cut with the cutter. If you’re using a cardboard template, place it over the sheet and cut with a knife. Finally, place the stick along the side — large skewers also work, just remove the sharp tip. Press the sticks well and add pearls or colored sprinkles.
Put the masks back in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes; I recommend refrigerating them on the baking tray that will go directly into the oven. This helps the pastry keep its shape during baking.
Bake in a convection oven at 338–356°F (170–180°C) for about 12 minutes — oven times and temperatures are indicative, adjust according to your oven. Be careful not to let them brown too much. Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy your treat!
Storage and tips for carnival mask cookies in shortcrust pastry
The masks can also be decorated with chocolate: melt it in a bain-marie or in the microwave and dip part or the whole mask. Then place the cookie on parchment paper so the chocolate can set properly. Masks with chocolate are truly delightful!
