These Canestrelli are my region's version of a shortbread biscuit. Dusted with a generous amount of powdered sugar, they are perfect with a cuppa!
My grandmother passed away in May. Along with the many memories I had of her, she also left me a bundle of recipes which we used to make when I was a child. Among those recipes, I found one for canestrelli. Canestrelli are my region's version of shortbread biscuits. They are buttery and melt in your mouth. They are not an explosion of flavour, but a comforting sweet treat to have on a rainy day, along with a cuppa. I remember making these biscuits in the colder months, after my grandma picked me up from school. I remember pressing the cookie cutter onto the dough and dusting the biscuits with powdered sugar after they had cooled down. Most of all, I remember the smell of the biscuits baking in the oven.
Some of my fondest memories of my grandma took place in the kitchen. I feel like, whatever time of day I was visiting, she was always cooking or baking. Sharing and recreating her recipes seems a lovely way to remember her, and in the next few weeks, I'll try my hands at some more of her wonderful bakes and dishes. Wherever she is, I am sure she is loving this,
Key Steps to Get the Perfect Canestrelli
Canestrelli are quite a straightforward biscuit (or cookie, if you are reading this from America) to make. However, there are a few things worth bearing in mind.
Keep your dough chilled: Canestrelli need to be cold when they get into the oven, or they'll flatten too much and lose their shape. I normally divide the dough into smaller balls and work on one at a time, keeping the rest in the fridge. That is also why I recommend making several small batches, as opposed to a big one. If that is not possible, as you make the canestrelli, gradually transfer them into the fridge until you are ready to bake.
They will look undone. They are not - they are lying: Canestrelli can be mischievous. You'll look at them and think 'oh they are still raw'. Here is the thing - they aren't, and a couple of extra minutes in the oven will get them burnt.
Be delicate: Canestrelli will be fully cooked when they are out of the oven - but they are really trying to fool you. When they first come out, they are super fragile, and they only harden after cooling down. So when transferring them to a plate or a cooling rack, be gentle. I normally use a spatula, the bent one you use with pancakes, to move them. And even then I sometimes fail.
Don't worry if you don't have a flower-shaped cookie cutter: That is the traditional cookie cutter for Canestrelli, but a simple circular one will also do. We are not sticklers around here!
Ingredients (this recipe makes about 35 Canestrelli):
300 gr plain flour
150 gr caster sugar
2 egg yolks
200 gr cold unsalted butter, cubed
powdered/icing sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. If you have a setting with heat only coming from the bottom of the oven, that will be best. If not, a general static oven will do.
To a large bowl, add your flour and sugar. Make a well in the middle and then add your yolks and your cold butter, cut into small cubes. Mix the everything with your hands until you get a smooth dough. This will take a few minutes. Shape it into a bowl and transfer it to the fridge for about half an hour.
Once you are ready to roll the dough, I would suggest dividing the dough into smaller balls, and working one per batch while the others remain in the fridge, as your biscuits need to be as cold as possible before they get into the oven. Dust some flour on your workspace and roll your dough thickly, with a rolling pin. I am talking just over half a centimetre thick. This is important, as they will lose a bit of their height in the oven. Use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits, and a smaller circular cutter for the middle.
Bake for about 8 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on them, as they look undone one minute and burnt the other. Once out of the oven, transfer them onto a cooling rack. Be gentle, as they are very delicate at this stage.
Once all the Canestrelli have been baked and have cooled down completely, dust them generously with icing sugar.
These Canestrelli can be stored for up to 5 days in a biscuit tin or plastic container, but I genuinely doubt they'll last that long!
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