Ovis Mollis

A classic vanilla flavored Italian cookie with a meltingly soft texture

—

These plain vanilla cookies are truly an example of the best among Italian pastries. Their wonderfully tender texture is achieved by using hard-boiled yolks in the dough as well as some potato or corn starch. They are not too sweet, even with the confectioners’ sugar topping. Ideal to have with tea, they can also be paired with a jam filling.

–

–

From the original recipe by Giuseppe Ciocca

-

In: “Il Pasticcere e Confettiere Moderno”, 1907—Italy

-

-

Ingredients

–

14 tbsp (200 g) unsalted butter

-

1-1/2 cups (200 g) AP flour, unbleached + extra to roll the dough

-

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

-

3/4 cup (100 g) potato starch or cornstarch

-

5 hard-boiled yolks

-

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

-

confectioners’ sugar

-

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C)

-

Place the flour and starch in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well mixed. Add the butter, diced, and pulse until the mixtture looks like wet sand. Add the sugar and pulse until well incorporated. Add the yolks, and pulse until they are crumbled. Add the vanilla extract, and pulse until the dough forms (it might take a few seconds, and it might look like the mixture is too dry, but if the machine keeps working the dough will eventually form. Gather the dough in a piece of wax paper and leave to rest in a cool place (not the refrigerator).

-

Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll the dough to a scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. With a cookie cutter cut the cookies (the traditional shape is a ring, which can be made with a donut cutter). Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (greasing is not really necessary, especially if you use insulated baking sheets).

-

Bake for about 10 minutes, taking care that the cookies do not darken.

=

Let the cookies cool on the baking pans. They are extremely fragile while hot, and they will literally disintegrate if removed from the pans while hot.

-

Once the cookies are cool sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and store in airtight containers.

-

–

Note: to hard-boil the yolks saving the egg whites for other dishes, place a pan filled with about 2 inches of water on high heat. As soon as the water starts simmering, break each egg, separating yolks and whites. Place each yolk on a spoon and lower it ever so gently in the barely simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Let the yolks cook for about 2-3 minutes, scoop them out of the water with a skimmer and drain on paper towels.

 

About these ads