RECIPE Horseshoe COOKIES
HORSESHOE COOKIES
They melt in the mouth, are fragrant and delicious, and above all ready in just 15 minutes — what am I talking about? Horseshoe cookies.
Delicious shortcrust cookies covered in dark chocolate, “present” in the childhood memories of many of us: their U shape recalls a horseshoe, and for this reason they are also known as fortune cookies.
I decided to make them these days, when we could all use a bit of luck — partly out of superstition and partly because they bring back Christmas scents and typical winter scenes. I confess they were the little cookies I used to leave under the tree with a glass of milk for Santa Claus!
They are perfect for any occasion: breakfast, an afternoon snack, to accompany a good tea or herbal infusion, after dinner with a small glass of liqueur, or as a sweet gift if wrapped with ribbon and clear paper.
The secret of the goodness of Horseshoe Cookies is in the ends glazed with melted chocolate and in the buttery, crumbly shortcrust pastry.
To make Horseshoe Cookies at home you won’t need a special mold: simply form small rolls and fold them into a horseshoe shape; if the typical U shape isn’t perfect, don’t worry — it’s absolutely normal not to get a perfect result with homemade sweets, and that’s part of their charm.
In the recipe you’ll also find some variations including the gluten-free shortcrust version and many tasty alternatives for glazing.
I’m sure that when you try them you’ll fall in love with them and they will no longer be missing from your cookie tin –
HORSESHOE COOKIES
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 20 horseshoe cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 315.14 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.81 (g) of which sugars 10.77 (g)
- Proteins 5.84 (g)
- Fat 18.40 (g) of which saturated 11.45 (g)of which unsaturated 6.36 (g)
- Fibers 3.32 (g)
- Sodium 77.08 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 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
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 9 tbsp butter (softened (at room temperature), cut into pieces)
- 1/2 + 2 cups granulated sugar (½ cup + 2 tbsp (approx. 120 g))
- egg (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 packet vanillin (or lemon zest)
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz dark chocolate
Tools
- Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Preparation
Place the softened butter (at room temperature) in a bowl in pieces, add the sugar and the vanillin (or lemon zest) and work everything with a spoon to combine. Then add one whole egg and continue mixing with a spoon until it is completely absorbed. Finally, incorporate the sifted flour and knead with your hands until you obtain a firm dough.
Transfer the shortcrust pastry to a lightly floured work surface and knead until you get a smooth, elastic ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
After chilling, take the dough out and place it again on a lightly floured work surface, working it quickly with your hands to restore its elasticity. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick. Cut the rectangle into many small strips about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick and 4–4 3/4 inches (10–12 cm) long. With the palms of your hands, roll each strip into a little log. Curve each small log to give the cookie the classic horseshoe shape.
Place the horseshoe cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes. Note that these cookies should not be overbaked and should remain fairly pale. Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool.
Coarsely chop the dark chocolate, place it in a bowl and melt it in the microwave or over a bain-marie. Once the horseshoe cookies are completely cooled, dip the ends of both tips into the melted chocolate. As you glaze them, place them on a wire rack so the chocolate sets evenly. Your HORSESHOE COOKIES are ready!
STORAGE
Horseshoe cookies stay crisp for up to one week if stored in a tin box.
TIPS
For the dough to hold its shape perfectly, it is important that it is very cold from the refrigerator; otherwise it may lose shape easily.
For this reason, if you need to make them in quantity, I recommend taking a small portion of dough at a time and keeping the rest in the fridge until needed.
If you prefer softer cookies, you can add a pinch of baking powder to the shortcrust. Bear in mind they will rise more during baking, so to keep a nice horseshoe shape make thinner rolls.
To melt chocolate in the microwave, place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at full power for 20 seconds, stir with a spoon, then heat again at full power for 10 seconds. Repeat this operation, stirring between each heating, until the chocolate is completely melted.
VARIATIONS
For the gluten-free dough replace the 00 flour with 120 g rice flour + 60 g corn flour.
You can flavor the shortcrust with orange or lemon zest or with spices such as cinnamon or ginger.
Some tempting variations include dipping the tips in white chocolate and adding sprinkles, using milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts, dark chocolate with candied orange peel sprinkles, almond or pistachio crumble, or shredded coconut.
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HORSESHOE COOKIES Thermomix (Bimby) RECIPE
INGREDIENTS: 100 g granulated sugar, 250 g all-purpose flour, 50 g potato starch, 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk, 1 packet vanillin, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch fine salt, 120 g butter, 200 g dark chocolate
METHOD
1 – Put 100 g of sugar in the Thermomix bowl: blend 10 sec. speed 10.
2 – Add 250 g flour, 50 g potato starch, 1 whole egg, 1 yolk, the vanillin, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of salt and 120 g butter: blend 50 sec. speed 6.
3 – Roll out the dough with a rolling pin then, with a knife, cut many small strips about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick and 4–4 3/4 inches (10–12 cm) long. With the palms of your hands roll each strip into a small log. Curve each log to give the cookie the classic horseshoe shape.
4 – Arrange the cookies, well spaced, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes.
5 – Remove the Horseshoe Cookies from the oven and let them cool completely before glazing the ends with chocolate.
