This recipe is excerpted with permission from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region, by Domenica Marchetti, (Gibbs Smith, 2026).

 

Book cover photo by Lauren Volo

Here it is—the cookie that inspired my book, Italian Cookies, and prompted me to follow a path of sweet crumbs from the north of Italy’s boot to the south, from east to west, and out to the islands.

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. From the moment I took my first bite of this flower-shaped cookie from Torriglia, in the hills north of Genoa, I was smitten.

The canestrelletto’s origins date to the fifteenth century, but only in the last few decades has it become popular beyond the confines of Torriglia or Liguria. To make them properly, follow these two simple rules: Use high-quality ingredients, and be sure to mix the dough properly, according to the method below. I learned the technique from Maria Paola Rosazza Battore, whose family has been making canestrelletti in their Torriglia shop for more than a century.

The cookie’s popularity has spawned many variations, which you will find even in the bakeries of Torriglia—cookies dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate, with chocolate chips in the dough, or with chestnut flour or whole-wheat flour mixed in. Sure, they’re all good. But the OG remains my favorite.

Makes 24 canestrelletti

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks; 227 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes, at cool room temperature (65° F; 18° C)
  • 2 1/2 cups (300 g) pastry flour, or 1 1/4 cups (150 g) each pastry flour and unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (optional)
  • Confectioners’ sugar for serving (optional)

 

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 the 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, or the mixture won’t whip properly. 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 325° F (165° C). 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 3/8-inch (5-mm), in other words, just under 1/2 inch (12 mm). Use a 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) six-petal flour cookie cutter with a hole in the center to stamp out canestrelletti. If you don’t have a cookie cutter with a hole in the center, use a zucchini corer or even the wide end of a stainless-steel piping tip to cut out the hole. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) between them. You should be able to fit 12 per sheet. Gather up the scraps and the punched-out centers and roll out more cookies, for a total of about 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 (check after 20 minutes). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. Serve them as is or with a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Store canestrelletti in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.