Canestrelli Recipe – Italian Shortbread Cookies with Egg Yolk
Delicate Italian shortbread cookies made with hard-boiled egg yolks, offering a melt-in-your-mouth texture and lightly flavored with lemon and vanilla.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (100 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 hard-boiled egg yolks, sifted
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Boil eggs for 10 minutes, cool, peel, and separate yolks. Sift yolks to a fine texture.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, and powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Add softened butter and blend until crumbly.
- Add sifted egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla, then knead gently into a smooth dough.
- Wrap dough and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F) and line a baking sheet.
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes.
- Place on baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Sifting egg yolks ensures a smooth dough texture.
- Do not overmix to keep cookies tender.
- Chilling dough helps maintain shape during baking.
- Cookies should remain pale with lightly golden edges.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar after cooling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
