This recipe for canestrelletti cookies has been kindly shared by Italian-American cookbook author, Domenica Marchetti. This specific cookie features in her latest release, Italian Cookies. If you’d like to learn more about Domenica, or her new cookbook, read her conversation with us here.
CANESTRELLETTI DI TORRIGLIA (Liguria) by Domenica Marchetti
Flower-Shaped Butter Cookies from Torriglia
At its core, this is a simple butter cookie composed of just four ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. The original recipe does not even contain salt, though I add a pinch to round out the flavor. What sets it apart is its texture, which manages to be both dense and airy, crispy, crumbly, delicate, butter-rich, and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The canestrelletto’s origins date to the fifteenth century, but only in the last few decades has it become popular beyond the confines of the town. Now you can find them all over Genoa and throughout Liguria and beyond. And there are many recipes floating around on the internet and in baking books. Most of them rely on a variety of tricks to achieve that singular texture and rich flavor, from adding cornstarch or potato starch to substituting hard-boiled egg yolks in place of raw because they have less moisture. Some doughs are enhanced with vanilla or rum or grated lemon zest. None of these modifications would pass muster with the bakers of Torriglia. Instead, follow these two simple rules: Use high-quality ingredients, and mix them properly, according to the method below, taking care to fully beat the sugar and egg yolks and adding the butter a little at a time.
Makes 24 canestrelletti
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
225 g (2 sticks; 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 12-mm (1/2-inch) cubes, at cool room temperature (18° C; 65° C)
300 g (2 1/2 cups) plain or pastry flour; plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon (a generous pinch) fine salt, optional
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Separate the eggs and return the whites to the refrigerator. You will need them when you bake the cookies. Place the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat, first on medium-low, then on high, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is very pale and fluffy. Drop in the cubes of butter, two at a time, beating to incorporate them well before adding more. This will take several minutes, but don’t rush the process. You are aiming for the texture of a soft, emulsified buttercream.
2. When all the butter has been incorporated, switch to the paddle attachment. Add the flour and salt all at once and mix on low speed to incorporate without kicking up any flour. Once the flour is mixed in, beat on medium-high for 10 to 20 seconds to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of reusable wrap or plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the dough and the egg whites from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to warm up slightly. Preheat the oven to 165° C (325° F). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
4. Lightly flour a clean work surface and lay the dough on it. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5 mm (3/8 inch), in other words, just under 12 mm (1/2 inch). Use a 6 cm (2 1/2 inch) six-petal flour cookie cutter with a hole in the center to stamp out canestrelletti. If you don’t have a cutter with a hole in the center, use a solid one and then use a zucchini corer or the wide end of a stainless steel piping tip to cut out the center. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 1/2 cm (1 inch) between them. You should be able to fit 12 per sheet. Gather up the scraps and punched-out centers and roll out more cookies for a total of 24.
5. Lightly beat the egg whites and brush the tops of the cookies. Bake the canestrelletti, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven, for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are set and golden but not too brown. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto the racks to cool completely. Serve them as is or with a dusting of icing sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Read Domenica’s Foodie Profile here.
