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These Canestrelli cookies are buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The ingredient list may surprise you!
My husband, Scott, has been telling me that I need to change the name of the blog. What do you think? I really like calling it The Café Sucré Farine but he says I need to call it The Crazy Cook. Why? Well, we're vacationing this week at the South Carolina Coast. He says that most people take a vacation to get away from cooking but me, oh no, I have a blast cooking and trying out new recipes for my sweet family to enjoy! I guess it's just part of my love language.
If you're a regular visitor at The Café, you know that I'm forever including fresh herbs in my culinary adventures, especially in the summer when the herb garden is going crazy. So... I brought just a few sprigs along. Scott took the picture below just to explain why he thinks I should change the name of the blog. I thought that everyone brought their herb garden along on vacation... no? 🙂
Please don't be telling me that you agree with him! Let's just talk about something else.
I teased you last week with pictures of these delicious Italian Canistrelli Cookies. I shared that the recipe was a bit unusual and I think you'll agree. I've never seen a cookie recipe that called for - are you ready? Hard-boiled egg yolks! Yes, you read that correctly; hard-boiled egg yolks!
The egg yolks are hard-cooked before adding to the rest of the dough ingredients. After cooling, the yokes are pressed through a fairly fine sieve. The rest is similar to a traditional shortbread recipe. The cookies are rolled quite thick, cut in shapes, and baked until pale golden.
The results are hard to describe; buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, not too sweet, and they look just gorgeous on a cookie tray or beside a bowl of ice cream or sorbet.
If you're looking for something unique, delicious and sure to bring rave reviews, pass a tray of these lovely Canestrelli at your next gathering of family/friends. Just don't be surprised if there are only crumbs remaining when it comes back to you!
Oh, one last thing about the Canestrelli; make SURE, if you taking pictures of these cookies, that you don't turn your back, even for a moment, on the photographer- you might just see this:
- Ingredients:
- 6 ½ ounces butter (13 tablespoons)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 3 hard-boiled egg yolks see notes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- powdered sugar for dusting
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Directions:
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With an electric mixer combine butter, sugar, and mix until well combined. Add salt and vanilla.
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Press the egg yolks through a fairly fine-mesh strainer and add to the butter/sugar mix, then beat until well combined. Don’t skip the egg-straining, or you’ll end up with lumps of egg yolk in your dough.
-
Add the flour and the cornstarch to the butter mix, taking care not to overwork (and warm) the dough. Sandwich the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, or parchment paper, then pat flat into a disk and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160° C). Roll the dough, still sandwiched between the two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, to about a ⅜ inch or 1 cm thickness and cut with a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter. If your cutter doesn't have a hole cut-out in the center you can use the cap of a marker. To avoid the dough clogging the cap, place a piece of plastic wrap slightly larger than the cookie cutter over the cookie, then cut the hole. The dough from the hole, wrapped in plastic wrap, will still get inside the cap, but you can easily pull it off and set it aside with the other scraps of dough. Take leftover scraps of dough, press them together and place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Press dough into a disk and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, then cut more cookies.
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Place the cookies on sheet pans lined with parchment paper, two inches apart, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until pale golden. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer onto a wire rack until completely cool. Dust with powdered sugar, then store in an airtight container. These keep well and are supposedly even better after a day or two. It's hard to keep them that long around my house.
France@beyondthepeel says
I have a weakness for shortbread. I don't think i'll be able to resist such an interesting recipe.
Patti says
These cookies look delicious and beautiful. I totally love shortbread, so I am definitely going to try these. Yes, the hard-boiled egg yolks sound strange, but I'm game.
By the way, not to belittle Scott, but I think you need to keep the beautiful blog name you have.
Gerry @Foodness Gracious says
Amazing, hard boled eggs..who'd have thougt? They look fantastic 🙂
Pola M says
I retract. I've just made some research and they are indeed made with boiled eggs....
Pola M says
I love canestrelli! Although I'm not sure I've ever seen a recipe using boiled eggs to make them... Well you learn something new every day!
overtimecook.com says
These cookies look gorgeous! The hole in the middle reminds me of linzer cookies. 🙂 I am always looking for a new cookie recipe, so I am definitely bookmarking this!
Lenia says
Crazy cook,I love your cookies!It is wonderful that you are so passionate about cooking!A token of love to the ones you love,right?Have fun and cook as much as you can,dear Chris, so that we enjoy your recipes!Many kisses from Greece!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
What pretty cookies! An unsual method but they look scrumptious. No shame in bring your herbs along with you on vacation - I think it's a great idea! I love naan so I'm looking forward to your next post :).
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
Wow hard boiled egg yolks? Now that is interesting!
I'll look forward to the naan recipe. We love naan here but I'm yet to find a recipe that's up to scratch.
What a cute little assistant!
Susan says
Your husband should know by now that we're all crazy! Really - who takes photos of their food? Tell him we're just passionate!
Your cookies look lovely. Enjoy your vacation!
Mary says
The cookies are just beautiful and I have no doubt they are delicious. I also like the naan. I hope you are enjoying your vacation. Have a great time. Blessings...Mary
Paula {Salad in a Jar} says
Shortbread? I'm in! I've heard of cookies like this. Now I've got a recipe to try that I trust.
If I had my own personal photographer, I would gladly let him eat every last cookie. How blessed you are.
Tricia says
Oh the cookies are beautiful! I love cooking on vacation - having an audience and eager dinner guests is the best! I really love your assistant - can't wait to see her in action! More photos please.
Yajaira Jaume says
Love your blog, very funny the part of "don't turn your back, even for a moment, on the photographer"(eating your cookies)hahahaa... makes me smile! Next time tell him to eat the whole thing!.
Carol @ Always Thyme to Cook says
The eggs are new to me. The cookies look fantastic. And your sous chef is adorable 🙂
bellini says
The Italians use absolutely everything so why not cooked eggs in a delicious cookie!
Gloria says
Look really amazing; love these cookies;)
Chatty Crone says
I am surprised by the hard cooked egg yolks too - I pinned this. sandie
Chatty Crone says
I am surprised by the hard cooked egg yolks too - I pinned this. sandie
Kim Garceau says
I really don't think that you're crazy... telling you this would be admitting that I'm too... So passionate about food, cooking, fresh ingredients... In fact, I went to the market yesterday and I went crazy... I came back with so much veggies and herbs that my Man looked at me as I was crazy... Anyway, these cookies with hard boiled egg yolks looks perfect. I'm so looking forward for your recipe of naan and your cute sous-chef experiment!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
What can I say? These cookies are adorable and look so girly! 🙂 I would love try one or two or three! Going to bookmark for the future once the tempratures cool down a bit! Have a lovely week!
Vicki Bensinger says
These are beautiful and so unusual with hard cooked egg yolks. I want to try these just because they sound so odd but so pretty.
Hovkonditorn says
These are so beautiful! I have read of hard boiled egg yolks i baked goods, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Hard cooked egg yolks, new to me! They sure look pretty! Did they puff up and expand? I'm still looking for a good dough for my "word" cookie cutters. Happy Vaca:@)
Maria says
I actually have seen a soft-boiled yolk used in a recipe for French Butter Cookies from Cooks Illustrated. Odd, isn't it? But it sure makes for a soft and tasty cookie. Your cookies look absolutely scrumptious.