Italian Crispy Star cookie recipeIn comparison to Americans and Northern Europeans, Italians eat far less sugar. That does not mean that they do not have a sweet tooth - who has not enjoyed a neat biscotti or amaretti?
IngredientsUnsalted Butter - 4 oz (this must be well softened)Caster Sugar - 4 ozs Egg yolk - 2 All purpose flour - 8 oz Salt - 1/2 tsp Almond essence - 2 tsp Cream or Creme Fraiche - up to 1 tbsp ToolsScalesElectric Mixer Spoon Cling film or small plastic sheet. Small, star shaped cookie cutter, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across. Two or three non-stick heavyweight baking sheets Flat knife to lift cookies MethodCream the butter and sugar in the mixer for 5 minutes on fast speed.Add the egg yolks and mix for a further three minutes. Use a spatula during the mixing to ensure the mix is even. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift in the flour; add the salt. Using the spoon, mix in the flour in so that none of the loose powder is visible. Return the bowl to the mixer, reduce the speed to slow, and mix for a further five minutes. Drip in the almond essence as soon as mixing starts. Slowly add the cream or creme fraiche, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a stiff dough that will just lift off the bowl. Prepare the cling film or small plastic sheet (about 10 to 12 inches square) by wiping it with olive oil so that the mixture will not stick to it. Lift the dough out of the bowl and wrap in the plastic; pop it into the fridge for half an hour. As you do so, set the oven to warm up to 350F, Gas Mk 4. Prepare your non-stick baking sheets by oiling generously, and then flour generously as well. Take about a third of the mixture and place it on the first tray. Roll it out thinly. If you roll too thin you will see the color of the underlying sheet showing through. Keep the surplus cool in the fridge. Using the cookie cutter, cut a cookie close to the edge of the rolled mixture. Remove the smaller pieces of surplus material left outside the shape. Slide the cookie gently sideways over the floured and oiled surface, keeping it inside the cutter, to its resting place. Repeat until there is no more workable material, then add some more mixture to your cuttings, roll it in your hand, place on the sheet and repeat. Place the baking sheets in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, until nicely brown on the points of the stars. Remove the baking sheets and allow to cool for ten minutes. Then, using your flat knife, lift the cookie biscuits onto a cooling rack. If you have any left over, keep them in a sealed container so they do not go soft.
These are an excellent accompaniment to that fresh, full strength, mid morning cup of Espresso coffee.
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The Italian Crispy Star Cookie is a thin, crisp, biscuit that breaks with a snap. They are rolled out quite thin, so can be tricky to make the first time you try them as they can deform when you lift your carefully cut shapes onto the baking tray. So, make sure you have the recommended non-stick baking sheets and try my little tip in the Method.
