Paste di Meliga

Name: Paste di Meliga
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Piemontese
Ingredients: 200 g farina di meliga (fine maize flour); 200 g Plain flour; 200 g Unsalted butter; 150 g caster sugar; 2 large Egg yolks; 1 tsp lemon zest; 0.5 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Paste di meliga are traditional Piedmontese shortbread biscuits made with fine maize flour, butter, and lemon zest, piped into golden ridged rings.

🇮🇹Italy· Piedmont

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 18 min
Total: 38 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 390 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

200 g farina di meliga (fine maize flour) — fumetto or fioretto grade
200 g Plain flour — type 00 or all-purpose
200 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
150 g caster sugar — fine white sugar
2 large Egg yolks — at room temperature
1 tsp lemon zest — finely grated, unwaxed
½ tsp Vanilla extract — pure extract
1 pinch Fine sea salt — about 1 g

Equipment

•Piping bag with wide open star nozzle
•Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
•Baking sheets
•Baking parchment
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 390 kcal
fat: 20 g
carbs: 48 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 390 kcal

Instructions

1
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
2
Beat in the egg yolks, finely grated lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.
3
Whisk the fine maize flour, plain flour, and salt together in a separate bowl.
4
Fold the flour mixture into the creamed butter until a smooth, pliable dough forms.
5
Transfer the dough into a sturdy piping bag fitted with a wide star nozzle.
6
Pipe circular rings about five centimetres wide onto two parchment-lined baking sheets.
7
Chill the baking sheets in the refrigerator for twenty minutes before baking.
8
Bake at 180°C for fifteen to eighteen minutes until the edges turn light golden.
9
Leave biscuits to firm up on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Use the finest grade of cornmeal, known as fumetto or fioretto, so the crumb stays delicate rather than gritty. Chilling the piped rings before baking ensures they keep their distinctive ridged star pattern in the oven.

Ingredient substitutions

farina di meliga (fine maize flour) → fine yellow cornmeal or corn flour
lemon zest → a few drops of natural vanilla bean paste

Storage

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

Reheating

Biscuits do not require reheating, but five minutes in an oven at 140°C restores crispness if softened by humidity.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using coarse polenta bramata, which makes the biscuit unpleasantly gritty
•Skipping the refrigeration step, which causes the piped ridges to melt flat in the oven
•Overbaking until deep brown, which dries out the rich buttery crumb

Serving suggestions

Dip into a glass of chilled Moscato d'Asti or red Dolcetto wineServe alongside a small cup of freshly whisked warm zabaglioneEnjoy as an afternoon treat with espresso or black tea