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Canistrelli (Corsican Cookies)

Canistrelli (Corsican Cookies)

Difficulty Level: Intermediate
  • Prep Time:
    10 Minutes
  • Cook Time:
    PT40M
    30 Minutes
  • Yield:
    2 Dozen
Fondly referred to as Brittle Bones when we’re celebrating Halloween these cookies are a classic Corsican shortbread with hints of anise. Perfect for dipping or snacking on with tea, coffee, wine or an aperitif.
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup lightly toasted almonds, coarsely chopped, optional
  • ½ teaspoon anise seeds, lightly crushed, optional
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup pastis (anise-based spirit)
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine, (or water)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar for rolling
  • 354.88ml flour
  • 118.29ml sugar
  • 6.39g baking powder
  • 2.13g salt
  • 78.86ml lightly toasted almonds, coarsely chopped, optional
  • 2.13g anise seeds, lightly crushed, optional
  • 78.86ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 78.86ml pastis (anise-based spirit)
  • 25.56g dry white wine, (or water)
  • 25.56g sugar for rolling

Fondly referred to as Brittle Bones when we’re celebrating Halloween these cookies are a classic Corsican shortbread with hints of anise. Perfect for dipping or snacking on with tea, coffee, wine or an aperitif.

Preparation
STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, almonds and anise seeds, if using.

STEP 3

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients with a spatula and add olive oil, pastis, and white wine (or water). Stir the mixture until it starts clumping together, then use your hands to gently knead the dough so it's cohesive. This is a soft dough and will not be completely smooth because of the almonds.

STEP 4

To roll the dough, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on a sheet of parchment paper roughly in a 6-inch circle. Place the dough on top of the sugar. Lay a second sheet of parchment over the dough and pat it down into a flat square shape with your hand. Lift the parchment paper, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top of the dough, replace the parchment, and roll the dough until it's about 1/4-inch thick. It will end up being about an 8-inch square.

STEP 5

To cut the cookies, trim the edges with a chef's knife or metal pastry scraper to make a neater square. Use the knife or scraper to cut the cookies into 25 squares.

STEP 6

Because the dough is rather soft slide the blade of a chef's knife or pastry scraper under one of the rows of the squares of dough and transfer them onto the baking sheet. Don't worry if they look a little funky after you move them; they're rustic cookies and part of their charm is being a bit misshapen. You can reroll any scraps between the parchment to make a few more cookies if you'd like.

STEP 7

Bake cookies for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Some of the cookie’s edges may get darker faster than the others. Feel free to move the cookies around on the baking sheet when you rotate the pan. If the cookies are not quite done after 20 minutes, turn the oven off but leave the cookies in the oven with the door closed until the cookies are light golden brown across the top, about 5 more minutes.

Options

You can use another anise-based spirit, such as absinthe, anisette, raki, or ouzo.

Avoid chilling the dough overnight because it can become too wet and soggy.

The cookies are best the next day; they'll soften up a bit to the right texture.

The cookies can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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