Small daisies from Stresa: the recipe for crumbly and greedy Italian biscuits

The small daisies from Stresa are biscuits made with a very melting shortcrust pastry made with butter, powdered sugar and firm yolks; the latter ingredient, in particular, makes the dough exceptionally crumbly and delicious. Typical of Stresa, a small Piedmontese village, they were made for the first time in 1857 by the pastry chef Pietro Antonio Bolongaro, on the occasion of the first communion of Princess Margherita. These shortbread biscuits were so popular that they later became the typical dessert of the House of Savoy for the August 15th. Made in the shape of a daisy, but also round for a more modern version, they are perfect as a delicious gift or to delight homemade breakfasts and snacks.

How to prepare the small daisies from Stresa

Put the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and cook for 8 minutes starting from boiling; once cooked, drain and shell them (1).

Take the yolks from hard-boiled eggs, collect them in a bowl and mash them with a fork (2).

In a bowl, mix the flours with the sugar, salt and vanilla; add the diced butter and the mashed yolks and start kneading (3).

Transfer the dough to a work surface and continue to work until you get a firm and homogeneous dough. Wrap it in cling film (4) and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

After the resting time, roll out the dough into a sheet about 5 mm thick with the help of a rolling pin (5).

Obtain many daisies with a special mold (6).

At this point, with a smaller circle-shaped stencil, make the center (7).

Arrange the biscuits on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper (8), and refrigerate for at least another 30 minutes. Bake the cookies in the oven at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes, until they are lightly golden.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack, then sprinkle them with plenty of powdered sugar and serve (9).

Preservation

The small daisies from Stresa can be preserved in a special tin container or under a glass bell jar for at least 6-7 days.