Canestrelli Liguri

Name: Canestrelli Liguri
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 150 g plain flour (farina 00); 100 g potato starch (fecola di patate); 150 g Unsalted butter; 75 g icing sugar; 3 large Eggs; 1 whole unwaxed lemon; 0.5 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 pinch Fine sea salt; 40 g icing sugar

Canestrelli Liguri are traditional flower-shaped shortbread biscuits dusted in icing sugar, prized for their delicate, melt-in-the-mouth crumb.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 320 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

150 g plain flour (farina 00) — sifted
100 g potato starch (fecola di patate) — sifted
150 g Unsalted butter — cold, cut into cubes
75 g icing sugar — sifted, for the dough
3 large Eggs — hard-boiled, yolks only
1 whole unwaxed lemon — finely grated zest only
½ tsp Vanilla extract — or seeds from half a pod
1 pinch Fine sea salt — to balance sweetness
40 g icing sugar — for a thick dusting on top

Equipment

•Fluted flower biscuit cutter
•Fine mesh sieve
•Baking sheet
•Rolling pin
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 320 kcal
fat: 18 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 320 kcal

Instructions

1
Boil the whole eggs in simmering water for nine minutes, cool under cold water, and peel.
2
Remove the hard-boiled yolks and push them through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
3
Combine the sifted flour and potato starch in a large mixing bowl or on a clean work surface.
4
Rub the cold cubed butter into the flour mixture using fingertips until it looks like wet sand.
5
Add the sieved egg yolks, seventy-five grams of icing sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt.
6
Knead quickly and gently until a smooth, compact pastry dough comes together without overworking.
7
Flatten the dough slightly, wrap it in cling film, and chill in the fridge for thirty minutes.
8
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of one centimetre.
9
Cut shapes using a fluted flower cutter and stamp out a small circular hole from each centre.
10
Arrange the biscuits on a lined baking tray and chill in the fridge for ten minutes.
11
Bake at one hundred and seventy degrees Celsius for twelve to fifteen minutes until pale and set.
12
Cool completely on a wire rack, then coat generously in a thick snowy layer of icing sugar.

Chef's tips

Do not let the biscuits brown; canestrelli should remain very pale with only the faintest golden tint on the base. Using sieved hard-boiled egg yolks rather than raw yolks is the secret to their signature tender, melt-away crumb. Keep the dough cold while working so the biscuits hold their crisp petal edges during baking.

Ingredient substitutions

potato starch (fecola di patate) → cornstarch (maizena)
unwaxed lemon zest → a few drops of natural orange blossom water

Storage

Keep the cooled biscuits in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Canestrelli are best served at room temperature and do not require reheating.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using raw egg yolks, which makes the biscuit dense rather than crumbly and tender.
•Over-baking until browned, which ruins the delicate, buttery flavour.
•Dusting with icing sugar while the biscuits are still warm, which dissolves the powder into a paste.

Serving suggestions

Serve at room temperature alongside an espresso or a cup of black tea.Pair with a glass of sweet Ligurian Sciacchetra wine for dessert.Present on a vintage ceramic platter dusted thickly with icing sugar.