Offelle di Parona

Name: Offelle di Parona
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lombarda
Ingredients: 300 g tipo 00 flour; 150 g Unsalted butter; 120 g caster sugar; 2 Egg yolks; 1 whole egg; 1 tsp lemon zest; 2 g Baking powder; 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Crisp-edged, tender-centred oval butter biscuits from Parona in Lombardy's Lomellina plain, delicately perfumed with fresh lemon zest.

🇮🇹Italy· Lombardy

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g tipo 00 flour — sifted
150 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
120 g caster sugar — fine
2 Egg yolks — from medium free-range eggs
1 whole egg — lightly beaten, divided for dough and egg wash
1 tsp lemon zest — finely grated from an unwaxed lemon
2 g Baking powder — about half a teaspoon
1 pinch Fine sea salt — to balance sweetness

Equipment

•Baking sheet
•Baking parchment
•Rolling pin
•Oval cutter
•Mixing bowl
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 16 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a wide mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened butter into the dry ingredients until fine crumbs form.
3
Stir in the caster sugar and finely grated lemon zest.
4
Add the egg yolks and half of the beaten whole egg.
5
Work the mixture quickly into a smooth dough without overworking.
6
Wrap the dough in parchment and chill for thirty minutes until firm.
7
Roll the dough on a floured surface to five millimetres thickness.
8
Cut oval shapes with an authentic offella cutter and arrange on lined sheets.
9
Brush each biscuit lightly with the remaining beaten egg.
10
Bake at 180 degrees C for twelve to fourteen minutes until the borders colour lightly.
11
Transfer the warm biscuits to a wire rack to cool and set.

Chef's tips

Do not overwork the shortcrust dough, as excess warmth develops gluten and toughens the crumb. Ensure the edges are lightly golden while the centre remains pale and tender. Chill the cut biscuits on the baking tray for ten minutes before baking to help them retain their distinctive oval shape.

Ingredient substitutions

tipo 00 flour → plain white flour
lemon zest → half a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Storage

Store the cooled offelle in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Reheating is not recommended, as offelle are meant to be eaten at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overbaking until fully browned, which eliminates the signature tender centre.
•Skipping the dough chilling step, causing the biscuits to spread and lose their oval form.
•Rolling the pastry too thin, leading to dry, brittle biscuits.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside an espresso or a cup of milky afternoon tea.Pair with a glass of sweet sparkling Malvasia or Moscato dell'Oltrepò Pavese.Enjoy dipped into a bowl of warm zabaglione.