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Home » Popular » Christmas Cookies » Chocolate Canestrelli

Chocolate Canestrelli

Last Updated June 27, 2019. Published December 19, 2018 By Rosemary 4 Comments

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A delicious Italian Cookie, Canestrelli, crunchy, buttery with a taste of chocolate. A fast and easy cookie to add to your Christmas baking list.

chocolate canestrelli cookies in a wooden box with a cup of teaChocolate Canestrelli Cookies

These Italian cookies are perfect with an afternoon cup of tea. A crumbly flower shaped biscuit which originated in Piedmont and Liguria.

making chocolate canestrelli cookies, dry ingredients in food processor with egg yolks in a bowl

Mixed dry ingredients and egg yolks.

dry ingredients and butter mixed in food processor

Coarse crumbs made with butter and dry ingredients.

ingredients for canestrelli cookies all mixed

Almost combined ingredients.

chocolate canestrelli dough wrapped in plastic

Gently kneaded dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

cutting out flowers for chocolate canestrelli cookies

Roll out the dough and cut out the cookies.

canestrelli cookies ready for baking

Cookies ready for baking.

Why use a Food Processor?

A few of my Italian cookie recipes use a Food Processor (which by the way is quite popular here in Italy) to bring the dough together.

Why? Because you might think that there is not enough wet ingredients compared to dry, therefore the dough must come together quickly but gently. So pulsing with a food processor is the choice.

Unfortunately using your hands is not going to work because your hands cannot work fast or hard enough to bring Canestrelli dough together and you don’t want to add any extra butter!

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canestrelli cookies in a box

How to make Chocolate Canestrelli

  • Boil the eggs for 8 minutes (hard boiled), let cool then smash with a fork.
  • Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch and cocoa
  • Then add the cold butter cut into pieces
  • Pulse a few times until you have coarse crumbs
  • Then add the egg yolks and pulse until combined, it may take a bit so be patient.
  • Move the dough to a flat surface and knead gently until combined.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 1-2 hours or even overnight.
  • Roll the dough into 1/3 inch ( 1 cm) thickness.
  • Cut out with small flower shaped cookie cutter and in the middle using a straw or even a small holed pastry tip make a hole in the middle.
  • Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes, let cool completely then dust with powdered sugar.

reaching for a chocolate canestrelli cookie

How to store Chocolate Canestrelli Cookies

Cookies should be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

More Delicious Italian Cookies

Wine Cookies

Italian Orange Ricotta Cookies

Italian S Cookies

Traditional Italian Breakfast Cookies

Canestrelli Cookies are an Italian traditional Christmas Cookie that I hope you enjoy!

up close chocolate canestrelli cookie

up close chocolate canestrelli cookie
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5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Canestrelli Cookies

A delicious Italian Cookie, Canestrelli, crunchy, buttery with a taste of chocolate. A fast & easy Christmas Cookie.
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Course Christmas Cookies, cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 50 cookies
Calories 44kcal
Author Rosemary Molloy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour (140 grams)
  • 1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon powdered / icing /confections sugar (75 grams)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch (80 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa (unsweetened / 20 grams)
  • 2/3 cup butter (cold / 150 grams)
  • 3 hard boiled egg yolks
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water, heat until boiling, then remove from heat and let sit 8-10 minutes. Place under cold water. Remove the shell and white part of the eggs, let the hard boiled yolks cool then mash well with a fork.
  • Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, corn starch and cocoa into the bowl of your Food Processor, add the cold cut up butter and pulse a few times until you have coarse crumbs.
  • Then add the mashed cooled egg yolks and pulse until the dough almost combs together.  Move to a flat surface and gently knead into a compact smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or even over night.
  • Pre-heat oven to 335° (170° celsius). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge, on a lightly floured flat surface, start with rolling out half the dough to 1/3 inch  (1 cm) thickness and cut with a small size flower cookie cutter, using a straw or any small round hole cutter, cut a hole in the middle of the flower.  Place cut out flowers on prepared cookie sheets and bake for approximately 12 -14 minutes, cookies should not brown. Let cookies rest 5 minutes then move to wire racks to cool,  dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 9mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @anitalianinmykitchen or tag #anitalianinmykitchen!

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    Filed Under: Chocolate, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Cookies & Bars, Easter, Most Posts

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    1. Jell Melton says

      December 9, 2020 at 7:04 am

      Am I missing something? You say to hard boil the eggs, remove the shell then mash the with a fork. Then you only use the yolks in the recipe.

      Is there supposed to be an instruction where you remove and discard the whites of the eggs after shelling and smash only the yolks? It doesn’t make any sense the way it’s written

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        December 9, 2020 at 11:59 am

        Hi Jell, sorry about that, I corrected the instructions. You use just the hard boiled egg yolks. Hope that helps.

        Reply
    2. Sandh says

      December 2, 2020 at 12:05 am

      5 stars
      Ive just discovered your site! The recipes seem amazing. Cant wait to try some of the cookie recipes! Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Rosemary says

        December 2, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        Hi Sandh, thanks so much, let me know what you try and how it goes. Take care.

        Reply

    Hi, I'm Rosemary.

    Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More
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