Homemade canestrelli are crumbly cookies that literally melt in your mouth, with the classic flower shape and a delicate vanilla scent.
Delicate and irresistible, one leads to another and they are loved by the whole family. They are perfect for breakfast, ideal to bring as a snack to school or work, and great with a cup of tea or milk.
The peculiarity of these cookies lies in the use of hard-boiled egg yolks, which make the dough incredibly soft and give canestrelli their unique, delicate texture.
The dough is very soft and slightly sticky: to obtain a perfect result it is recommended to work it with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment so as not to warm it too much with your hands. Alternatively, you can knead by hand, taking care to let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
If you love homemade cookies, don’t miss the other recipes listed further down!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 389.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 45.55 (g) of which sugars 13.61 (g)
- Proteins 3.93 (g)
- Fat 22.24 (g) of which saturated 13.92 (g)of which unsaturated 8.24 (g)
- Fibers 0.65 (g)
- Sodium 68.14 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 84 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
Ingredients for homemade crumbly canestrelli.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups potato starch
- 1 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
- 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter
- 2 packets vanillin (vanilla flavoring)
- 5 egg yolks (hard-boiled)
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed flour (for dusting)
- as needed vanilla confectioners' sugar
Tools
To obtain perfect canestrelli, my advice is to work the dough with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, so as not to warm it too much with your hands.
To roll the dough evenly, you can help yourself with a sheet of parchment paper: this will make it easier to cut the cookies while keeping a precise shape.
- 1 Stand mixer Howork
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Parchment paper
Preparation
To prepare the canestrelli dough, my advice is to use the stand mixer with the paddle attachment so you can work it without warming it too much.
Alternatively, you can knead by hand: place the flour in a well on a work surface, add the other ingredients in the center and work the dough quickly, using a spatula if necessary, to avoid warming it too much.
First, mash the hard-boiled yolks well with a fork until they have a fine, lump-free texture. Alternatively, you can pass them through a sieve for an even smoother result.
Put all the ingredients into the stand mixer bowl, including the mashed yolks, and start working with the paddle attachment at medium speed until you obtain a homogeneous, compact dough.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, form it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, keeping it at a not-too-thin thickness.
With a flower-shaped cutter, or any cutter you prefer, cut out the cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 338°F (170°C) for about 10–15 minutes, taking care not to let them brown too much: canestrelli should remain pale.
Once cooled, you can dust them with vanilla powdered sugar before serving.
NOTES
To obtain perfect canestrelli, remember to always work the dough quickly and let it rest in the refrigerator: this will make it easier to roll out and it will hold its shape better during baking.
If the dough is too soft, you can roll it between two slightly floured sheets of parchment paper, so you can work it without difficulty and avoid it sticking to the rolling pin.
During baking, be careful not to let the cookies darken too much: canestrelli should remain pale to keep their crumbly, delicate texture.
Once ready, store them in a tin box or an airtight container: they stay crisp for several days, perfect to enjoy at any time of the day.
A small waste-saving tip: if you have hard-boiled eggs already made, you can use the yolks to prepare these cookies, turning them into a simple and delicious recipe.
❓ FREQUENT QUESTIONS ABOUT CANESTRELLI
Why are hard-boiled yolks used in canestrelli?
Hard-boiled yolks make the dough more crumbly and delicate, giving the cookies that melt-in-the-mouth texture typical of canestrelli.
The canestrelli dough is too soft, what can I do?
It is normal for the dough to be soft: to handle it better it is important to let it rest in the refrigerator. If necessary, you can roll it between two slightly floured sheets of parchment paper.
