The Genoese canestrelli are typical Ligurian desserts, specifically little flower-shaped cookies with a hole in the center.
Certainly more famous than the CAPORALI COOKIES, these ancient cookies originated in Torriglia, in the Genoese hinterland, where they are still produced in local bakeries/pastry shops, under the strict control of the “Il Canestrello di Torriglia” association.
Canestrelli are perfect for accompanying coffee or tea, and are usually served with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. I tried to recreate them because I love them; their aroma and fragrance are unmistakable, and thanks to the recipe from my friend Luisa from the blog “Allacciate il grembiule” I believe I’ve really come close.. of course, if you want to enjoy the canestrelli, the original ones, you just have to head to Torriglia!
If you wish, you can bake the Genoese canestrelli in an air fryer at 340°F for 10 minutes!
You can always find my recipes on my Facebook page HERE, or on my Instagram page HERE.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 20
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 6 3/4 oz Butter
- 1 egg
- as needed Powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Mold for canestrello
Preparation
For this preparation, the butter must be soft.
Place the flour in a mound on the work surface.
Add the sugar and the egg yolk. Set the egg white aside.
Also add the soft butter in cubes and begin working the ingredients with your hands.
Knead more vigorously to obtain a smooth and well-mixed ball.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to reach a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Cut your canestrelli from the dough and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Knead the “scraps” of the canestrelli and roll them out again to make more canestrelli.
Lightly beat the egg white and brush it over the surface of each canestrello.
Bake the Genoese canestrelli in a static oven at 355°F for 10 minutes.
Once ready, remove the canestrelli from the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the tray.
Dust with powdered sugar on top and serve.
Storage
The canestrelli can be stored for a week under a glass dome or in a tin box at room temperature
