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Santa Lucia Shortbread Cookies on a plate

Santa Lucia Shortbread Cookies

A traditional Christmas cookie recipe from Verona, in Veneto. These cookies are fragrant, buttery and taste great with milk, coffee, hot chocolate or a glass of dessert wine.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
In the refrigerator: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Shortbread pastry, Shortcrust pastry
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 60 cookies
Calories: 43kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour all-purpose
  • 1/2 ⅛ cup butter chopped in small pieces
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 egg egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp sugar powdered, to decorate

Instructions

  • Start by sifting the flour and forming a volcano shape on your countertop.
  • Add the butter, cut into pieces, in the middle of the crater. Work the ingredients together very fast until they are crumbling together (see notes).
  • Add the sugar, the egg yolks, the vanilla and the salt and continue working together with all the ingredients until they are perfectly combined. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for 1 hour.
  • Just before taking out the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven at 320°F (160°C).
  • Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a ½ inch thickness and then cut as many forms as you can using Christmas cookie stamps
  • Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the cookies on top and cook them in the oven for 15 minutes until golden (see notes).
  • Let them cool down on baking rack. Once cold, cover them with icing sugar and serve them.

Notes

  • Work the dough fast to avoid the butter to melt at contact with you hand. Try to keep your hands cold, wetting them under cold water or passing in your hands some ice cubes.
  • In order for your cookies to have a nice uniform golden aspect, turn the tray clockwise halfway of the time in the oven. 
  • These cookies will last 3-4 days in an airtight container.
  • You could do the recipe using a food processor, follow the same steps when adding the ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 43kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
Have you tried to make it?Mention @Italian_Kitchen_Confessions or tag #Italian_Kitchen_Confessions!