For dough
2 pounds (about 8 cups) pastry flour
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lard
8 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1 pound (about 2 1/4 cups) sugar
3/4 tablespoon vanilla

For brushing cookies (before baking)
2 large eggs, beaten

For decoration (before baking)
24 "peewee" or "small" hard-boiled eggs

For decoration (after baking)
Icing or frosting (optional)
3 ounces colored sprinkles (optional)
3 ounces icing sugar (optional)

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cut in shortening.

Add eggs one at a time; mix well.

Add orange juice and vanilla; mix well.

Add sugar and mix well.

Knead until dough is smooth and malleable -- about 3 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and wrap with clear plastic wrap.

Place in fridge and let the dough rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll out dough into 1/4 thick thick.

Cut into a variety of "fancy" shapes, 2 of each design (One a touch bigger than the other).

Place a hard-boiled egg in the center of one piece of dough (the smaller-sized one), cover with the matching piece. Seal the pieces together. Make a cut on the piece of dough over the egg and flute dough with pastry pinchers.

Brush with beaten egg.

Dust with colored sprinkles.

Bake on greased cookie sheets in a 425 F. degree oven until ready -- about 20 minutes.

Remove.

Light ice the cookies (optional).

Decorate with colored sprinkles (optional).

Dust with icing sugar.

The recipe in this entry was adapted from one published in the cookbook, "Italian Cookbook for Quantity Service, Authentic Professional Recipes" by Harry Caleva (New York: Ahrens Publishing, 1956). The cookbook can be borrowed for free at the on-line public library, www.openbook.org ... I tried this recipe and found it difficult to do. The dough has a nice taste, but the design of the cookies is rather cumbersome. Trying to top a piece of dough with another piece of dough with an egg in the center of the bottom dough is pretty hard to do. The original directions don't indicate that the top piece of dough should be larger, but I found this to be necessary. Also, the original directions suggest that one can put colored sprinkles on the cookies prior to them being baked. Most colored sprinkles sold these days melt in a hot oven after 5 minutes or so. It might be better to frost these cookies after they are baked and then add the colored sprinkles. The recipe calls for colored eggs and while this would enhance the look of the cookies, I personally don't like using colored dyes as they are artificial. In the old days and in the old country (Prior to World War II) children perceived hard-boiled eggs as treats, and eagerly devoured them, but nowadays most children will not take to hard-boiled eggs, in whatever color they come in. What hard-boiled eggs will be used in this style of cookies will probably be consumed by adults.... Possibly in the hands of a very good pastry chef, these Italian Easter cookies can be quite beautiful, but if you're just an average home cook (like I am ) then it is much easier to do this style of cookies in the "traditional" way. Most traditional recipes for Easter cookies that are decorated with hard-boiled eggs, attach the eggs to the cut-out uncooked cookies with little dough ropes. This is much easier to do, and anyone can manage to get it right. Still, this is an interesting old recipe (possibly dates back to the 19th century) and might be worth a try.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

Back to main list