The Meliga Cookies are typical biscuits from Piedmont that I adore. It is said that they were created out of necessity, following a poor wheat harvest, which caused the price of white flour to skyrocket. And since ingenuity wasn’t lacking, it was partially or completely replaced with very finely ground corn flour. The resulting sweets are crumbly, with a slightly coarse structure that makes them irresistible. The name derives from the Piedmontese dialect “Paste ‘d melia,” as meliga is the name for corn flour. The most suitable type is fioretto corn flour, as it is finely ground and blends well with other ingredients. I usually choose the one from Molino Borgo San Dalmazzo, which I find really phenomenal.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 35 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Piedmont
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup fioretto corn flour
- 7 tbsps butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- to taste vanilla extract
- 1 lemon (grated zest)
Steps
Sift the fioretto corn flour into a bowl.
Add the sifted all-purpose flour.
Add the softened butter cut into pieces.
Mix with your hands until you obtain a sandy mixture.
Add the sugar and mix it well with your hands.
Now incorporate the egg, vanilla extract, and grated zest of one lemon.
Knead with your hands or a spoon until you obtain a compact dough, it will be slightly soft.
Put it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for about half an hour.
Take it out of the fridge and gradually fill a syringe with a star nozzle. Place the parchment paper on a baking tray and start forming the Meliga Cookies.
You should form circles about 2-3 inches in diameter. Do not place them too close together, as they will slightly expand during baking and might touch each other.
Place the baking tray on the highest rack of the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes at 340°F. I recommend keeping an eye on them, as they might look raw one moment and risk burning the next.
You can serve them simply for a snack or breakfast, or accompany them with a great Zabaione, but with Moscato.
Tips and Advice
With these quantities, you will get about 35 cookies, obviously depending on the size you choose to make them and the amount of dough used for each.
You can choose a circular or rectangular shape, depending on your preferences.
If you liked the Meliga Cookies, also try these delicious Piedmontese sweets:
