Hello everyone! Are you ready to take a small leap into the heart of Liguria, with your hands in dough and the sweet smell filling the house? Today we’re making the Canestrelli, the original Ligurian cookies, and I assure you their simplicity is the key to their irresistible goodness.
These are not just simple cookies, but little clouds of shortcrust pastry that melt in your mouth, leaving that delicate taste of butter and lemon that immediately reminds you of home, celebrations, and tradition.
Imagine dipping them in milk for breakfast, or enjoying them with a cup of tea in the afternoon… it’s a sweet embrace!
Their flower-like shape, crowned with a generous dusting of powdered sugar, also makes them beautiful to look at.
They are perfect to share, to gift, or simply to keep in a nice jar for when you’re in the mood for a little treat.
Come on, you don’t need to be expert pastry chefs: just a few simple ingredients, a bit of love, and the desire to create a small homemade masterpiece. Let’s put on the apron; the scent of Canestrelli awaits us! 🌸🍪
Below, as always, I’ll leave you with other cookies to dip, and then we’ll go right under the photo to discover how to make these Canestrelli, the original Ligurian cookies!
See you soon with the next recipe, Ana Amalia.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 25 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Canestrelli the Original Ligurian Cookies
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cornstarch (or potato starch)
- 2 egg yolks (hard-boiled)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (grated)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste powdered sugar (for garnishing)
Tools
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Baking sheet
- Cookie cutters for cookies
Steps
Boil the eggs until hard, cool them, extract the hard yolks and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, grated lemon zest, salt, and vanilla with electric beaters until the mixture is frothy and pale.
Add the hard-boiled yolks and blend again with the beaters until you obtain a smooth yellow mixture.
Finally, incorporate the cornstarch and flour and compact it well with your hands, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch, sprinkling the work surface with a little flour, or use a sheet of parchment paper.
Cut out the canestrelli, the original Ligurian cookies, using a flower-shaped cookie cutter, and make a hole in the center with another small round cookie cutter.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a spatula to pick up the canestrelli and place them well spaced apart.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 356°F in static mode, and once the resting time in the refrigerator is over, bake the sheet in the center rack.
Bake the canestrelli for 12/13 minutes, they should not color on the surface; in fact, they should remain very pale.
Once baked, let them cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet, then dust them with powdered sugar before enjoying them.
How to store Canestrelli the Original Ligurian Cookies
They can be stored in a tin box 🍪🍩 or under a glass dome for several days.
You can substitute cornstarch with potato starch.
Instead of vanilla extract, you can use a packet of vanillin.
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