Carnival shortcrust pastry masks are moldable shortcrust cookies, perfect for preparing for the year’s most joyful and colorful celebration.
They are ideal if you’re looking for an easy-to-work dough, suitable for children, to create creatively decorated masks.
Carnival is a celebration I remember with much love because my mom managed to create really beautiful masks and costumes using little and a lot of creativity. With old clothes, imagination, and patience, my brother and I always had special Carnival masks, made with love.
For this recipe, I prepared a fragrant and elastic shortcrust pastry, letting it rest in the fridge for at least half a day, so it becomes perfect for modeling.
After baking, I decorated the masks: some halves with dark chocolate, others only with colorful sprinkles and strands, for a cheerful and scenic result.
Shall we prepare them together?
If you like homemade Carnival sweets, you can also find other perfect recipes for this period on the blog, like the arlecchino shortcrust cookies, the Carnival frappe, ideal for preparing and sharing during the celebrations.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 15
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 199.13 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.57 (g) of which sugars 14.29 (g)
- Proteins 2.84 (g)
- Fat 9.50 (g) of which saturated 5.91 (g)of which unsaturated 3.45 (g)
- Fibers 1.02 (g)
- Sodium 9.01 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 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 for Carnival Shortcrust Pastry Masks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- lemon zest (grated)
- vanilla bean (seeds)
- 1 egg
- 3.5 oz 50% dark chocolate
- to taste sugar pearls
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
You Will Need
- Cutters mask cookie cutter
- Bowl
- Baking Sheet
How to Prepare Carnival Shortcrust Pastry Masks
In a bowl, I manually work the soft butter with the sugar and flavors until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
I add the eggs, a pinch of salt, and lastly, the flour, mixing first with a fork and then with my hands.
When the dough is compact, I form a loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
This step is crucial to make the shortcrust pastry more elastic and allow the flavors to blend well.
After resting, I take the loaf and roll it out on the pastry board with a rolling pin to a thickness of about a quarter of an inch.
Using a mask-shaped cutter, I cut out the Carnival masks and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
To ensure the masks maintain their shape perfectly during baking, I put the baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes 😉.
At this point, I can bake: I cook the Carnival masks in a static oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Once cooked, I take them out and let them cool completely before proceeding with the decoration.
I melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
I take the now cold masks and dip them halfway in chocolate, then place them on a sheet of parchment paper and immediately decorate with colorful sprinkles or strands, before the chocolate solidifies.
To make white masks, I lightly beat an egg white with a teaspoon of powdered sugar.
With a brush, I coat the surface of the cookies and cover them with colorful sprinkles.
I let the masks dry well on the parchment paper until the decorations are completely set.
Now they are ready… and the party can begin!
Happy Carnival! 🎭
Storage and Useful Tips
Carnival shortcrust pastry masks keep very well for 3–4 days in a tin box or an airtight container, preferably separating layers with a sheet of parchment paper.
Avoid the fridge: humidity would ruin the pastry and decorations.
If you prepare them in advance, you can bake the masks the day before and decorate them just before serving or gifting them, so they stay even more beautiful and crunchy.
For a perfect result:
if the dough warms up while working with it, put it back in the fridge for 10–15 minutes
if you don’t have a mask cutter, you can cut the shape with a small knife or use a paper template
for an even more cheerful effect, alternate dark chocolate, colorful sprinkles, and strands
👉 Gluten-free variation: you can prepare the masks using a gluten-free flour mix specific for shortcrust pastry, following the same quantities and letting the dough rest well in the fridge.
👉I recommend preparing them with your kids and choosing their favorite decoration together: a simple, creative, and truly special moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I don’t have a mask cutter, can I still make them?
Of course. You can draw a mask on paper, cut it out, and use it as a template, or create simple shapes with a small knife. Even so, the Carnival shortcrust pastry masks will be perfect and fun to decorate.
