I make the canestrelli biscuits every year and give them to friends, try it too with my recipe, they come out as if they were bought
Every year at Christmas, my canestrelli biscuits are the most requested gift from friends and family: with this easy recipe, even the clumsy can make them!
Canestrelli are one of those biscuits that as soon as you mention them, they immediately bring to mind the scent of butter and powdered sugar that wafted from the tin you opened.
They seem complicated, but they're not: when you discover the trick of using shortcrust pastry with hard-boiled egg yolks, you immediately understand why they turn out so crumbly and why they melt in your mouth in that way that reminds you of grandma's biscuits.
Better than the store bought ones, this is the easy recipe for canestrelli biscuits, you'll make a great impression
If you're in the mood for breakfast or a teatime treat, canestrelli biscuits are perfect. And now that we're in late autumn, turning on the oven isn't a sacrifice; in fact, it's a pleasure. It's a recipe you can make even when you have unexpected guests: the dough doesn't need to rest for half a day, and you can even make it with the kids, because they enjoy cutting out the little flowers.
These cookies have a simple flavor: no chocolate, no cream, no icing, yet they're irresistible. As always, everyone has their own version: some add a pinch of vanilla, some lemon zest, some use starch to make them even more crumbly. I'll tell you the version that's most faithful to the traditional one, the one that's closest to the canestrelli biscuits still found today in the oldest Ligurian bakeries: a true poem!
Ingredients
- 150 g soft butter
- 200 gr flour 00
- 100 g potato starch
- 80 g icing sugar + more to dust
- 3 eggs
- A teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- A pinch of salt
Easy recipe for canestrelli biscuits
- To make these cookies, start by boiling the eggs for 10 minutes, then drain and let them cool completely. Shell them, scoop out the yolks, and pass them through a sieve to obtain a smooth, lump-free cream.
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the softened butter cut into small pieces and begin working it in with your hands. Now add the sifted egg yolks, a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract. Knead quickly until you have a smooth, soft dough. Then, transfer the dough to a pastry board and gently roll it out to about a centimeter thick.
- Cut out the canestrelli biscuits using a flower-shaped cookie cutter and make a hole in the center. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 170°C (340°F) for 12-15 minutes, making sure they don't brown. Let them cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar and serve immediately!
