Canestrelli (Italian Flower Cookies) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup potato flour or cornstarch
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, cubed, at room temperature
2 None egg yolks from large hard-boiled eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
None None Finely grated peel of 1 lemon
None None Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325\u00b0F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the flours, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the butter. Press the hard-boiled egg yolks through a sieve into the bowl.
Add the vanilla and lemon peel and rub everything together with your fingers. Keep working the mixture with your hands until it comes together into a firm, golden dough. Press the dough into a smooth, flat disc.
On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thickness. Check the thickness carefully as thinner dough results in dry cookies.
Cut out flowers or fluted circles using a small cookie cutter (about 1 1/2-inch diameter). Place on prepared pan. Remove the centers using a tiny cutter, or a drinking straw. Return the 'holes' to the dough for re-rolling. Keep rolling and cutting the dough until it is all used. Refrigerate the baking pan for about 10 mins.
Bake for 15-20 mins until pale gold and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and dust thickly with sifted powdered sugar. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.