Delicate flower-shaped butter cookies with a center hole and a snowy sugar finish.
Read the full method before starting. Household measures are approximate; gram weights help keep the dough consistent.
Canestrelli
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 143 minutes: 35 hands-on, 60 chilling or resting, 18 whole-batch cooking and 30 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and visual doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- US measures or kitchen scale
- Mixing bowls and spatula
- Two 13 × 18-inch lined baking sheets
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin and cookie cutters
Delicate flower-shaped butter cookies with a center hole and a snowy sugar finish.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Prepare yolks
- 1Prepare yolksCook eggs until hard-boiled, cool fully and separate the yolks. Push the cooled yolks through a fine sieve so no lumps remain. Preparation time includes boiling and cooling.
Make dough
- 2Make doughBeat butter and 90 g powdered sugar briefly. Mix in sieved yolks, vanilla, zest and salt. Fold in flour and starch; bring together without kneading. Chill covered for 1 hour.
Cut and bake
- 3Cut and bakeHeat oven to 325°F (165°C), or 300°F (150°C) fan. Roll to 1/3 inch thick. Cut 30 flowers with a roughly 2-inch cutter and cut a small hole from each center. Space 1 inch apart on two lined sheets. Bake both trays 15–18 minutes, exchanging positions halfway; keep them pale.
Cool and dust
- 4Cool and dustRest on trays 10 minutes, then cool on a rack 20 minutes. Dust cold cookies with the remaining sugar.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Cooked yolks and starch create the unusually tender texture.
Technique & texture
Sieve the yolks carefully to prevent lumps in the dough.
Finishing & serving
Dust after cooling so the sugar stays dry and white.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 5 days | Cool fully and keep airtight; separate from moist cookies. |
| Refrigeration | Not needed | Avoid condensation and refrigerator moisture on plain baked cookies. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze uncoated shaped dough. Thaw in the refrigerator; finish shaping or coating before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze fully cool cookies airtight, without glaze or chocolate when possible. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Thaw covered at room temperature, then apply any sugar, glaze or chocolate finish. |
Notes
- Cooked yolks and starch create the unusually tender texture. Sieve the yolks carefully to prevent lumps in the dough. Dust after cooling so the sugar stays dry and white. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 30; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
THE COOKIE INDEXITALIANCHRISTMAS COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the yolks raw?
No. Use cooled hard-boiled yolks.
Can I use cornstarch?
Potato starch is specified here; cornstarch can produce a slightly different crumb.
Why do they break when moved?
They are fragile warm; allow the full tray rest.
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