Makes 28-30 canistrelli
Prep Time
? minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
+ 15 minutes cooling
Total Time
? minutes
Like the Prune Flan to the Bretons, or the Kugelhopf to the Alsatians, canistrelli are little bites of childhood for most Corsican people. These crunchy cookies made from white wine bread loaves, cut cross-ways and twice baked, are beloved all throughout the island. They're reminiscent of Italian biscotti, although they are slightly crumblier - and just a bit better if you ask me.
Their creation is very easy and calls for only a few ingredients that you already likely have in your pantry. With oil and white wine replacing any sort of dairy or eggs, they are also naturally vegan. The traditional version is subtly flavored with lemon zest and aniseeds, but you can customize these as you prefer by adding nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate.
In Corsica, canistrelli are often eaten dunked in wine, but they are just as perfect with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
3 cups plus 2 tbsp (400 g) all-purpose flour
Two tsp (8 g) baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tbsp (170 g) sugar
2 lemons, zested
4 tsp (20 g) aniseed, whole
2/3 cup (160 ml) neutral flavored oil (i.e., rapeseed)
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine
4 tbsp (50 g) sugar, for topping
Preheat your oven to 335°F (170°C, or gas mark 3), with a rack in the middle.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and aniseed. Add the oil and white wine, and stir until the dough comes together in a rough ball.
Divide the dough in two, and shape the two pieces into 10- to 12-inch (25- to 31-cm)-long logs. Roll each log in one tablespoon (13 g) of sugar to coat it all around. Carefully transfer the two logs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the logs for 30 minutes. Take them out of the oven - leave the oven on - and let the logs cool down for 15 minutes on the baking sheet. Sliced the logs into 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) slices and lay them flat on the baking sheet, cut-side down, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, flipping the slices after 10 minutes.
Transfer the canistrelli to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Rustic French Cooking Made Easy, by Audrey Le Goff