The Easter colombine cookies are simple and fragrant little treats, perfect to make at home during the holidays. They remind me of those quiet moments in the kitchen when just a few ingredients are enough to create something beautiful and delicious to share.
If you’re preparing a dessert for Easter, I suggest you also take a look at my colored Easter eggs and my honey Easter bundt cakes, two perfect ideas to bring color and tradition to the table.
These colombine are made with a soft, delicate shortcrust pastry flavored with citrus zest, and they have a charming shape that makes them ideal even as gifts. They’re easy to make and great if you want to involve little ones: they have a lot of fun creating the shapes!
In a few simple steps you’ll bring to the table cookies that are lovely to look at and even better to eat. Definitely a must-try!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 75.42 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.90 (g) of which sugars 4.13 (g)
- Proteins 1.48 (g)
- Fat 2.71 (g) of which saturated 1.68 (g)of which unsaturated 0.96 (g)
- Fibers 0.25 (g)
- Sodium 17.47 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 20 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 Easter colombine cookies
With these quantities you will get about 26–28 colombine cookies, assuming a weight of about 20 g (about 3/4 oz) each.
The amount may vary slightly depending on the size and shape of the cookies.
- 300 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg (medium)
- 100 cups granulated sugar
- 80 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 orange zest (or grated lemon zest)
- as needed powdered sugar (for decorating)
Useful tools
- Bowl
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Grater
- Kitchen scale for dividing the dough into pieces of about 20 g (≈ 3/4 oz)
How to prepare Easter colombine cookies
In a bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until you get a smooth cream.
Add the egg and the grated orange zest. Add the sifted flour with the baking powder and the pinch of salt. Knead until you obtain a soft but workable shortcrust dough.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
After resting, take the dough and tear off a small piece at a time.
Form two little logs: with the first I make the body of the dove, pressing lightly in the center with a finger to create a small groove.
Then take the second little log and place it crosswise over the first, right in the groove, bending it slightly downward to form the wings.
Arrange the colombine on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between them. Try to keep all pieces the same weight (about 20 g / 3/4 oz), so you get uniform cookies and perfect baking. Before baking, dust them lightly with powdered sugar.
Bake in a conventional (static) oven at 356°F for 12–15 minutes; they should remain pale and slightly golden underneath.
Let them cool and dust with powdered sugar.
Storage and useful tips
The Easter colombine cookies can be kept at room temperature for 4–5 days, stored in a tin box or an airtight container, so they will remain crisp and fragrant as if just made.
If you want to prepare them in advance, you can also freeze the raw dough wrapped in plastic: when you need it, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator and proceed with shaping.
For a perfect result, work the dough quickly so as not to warm it too much and, if it becomes soft, let it rest a few minutes longer in the refrigerator.
You can customize these cookies in many ways: add chocolate chips, pearl sugar, or brush the surface with a little milk before baking for a more even browning.
