9 Canestrelli Varieties
Ranked From the Best To the Worst

Canestrelli liguri are ancient Ligurian flower-shaped butter cookies with a hole in the center, allegedly named after canestro, a straw basket in which they were left to cool down after baking. Although they are quite simple, made only with flour, sugar, butter, and hard-boiled yolks, these cookies are very popular, so much that they are even recognized as a traditional agricultural product of the region. Local varieties of the recipe also exist, such as canestrelli di Santo Stefano D'Aveto, Acquasanta, or Torriglia, where the basic dough is enriched with ground almonds, lemon zest, orange blossom water, or a topping of granulated sugar before baking. Canestrelli liguri are traditionally enjoyed generously rolled in powdered sugar, accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea.Expand

Canestrelli Biellesi have been produced in the picturesque Piedmontese town of Biella since the 1800s. They consist of two thin, crispy chocolate wafers joined together with a layer of chocolate-hazelnut cream in the middle. This luscious chocolate cookie is even protected as a traditional agricultural product of the region, and to assure their authenticity, the top wafer is usually stamped with a mark of canestrelli Biella, combined with the name of the pastry shop that prepared them.Expand

Although they are most commonly associated with Liguria and Piedmont, canestrelli cookies are also an ancient tradition in Emilia-Romagna, especially in Piacenza - it is believed that the recipe spread from Aveto valley to the neighboring Trebbia Valley before it finally reached Piacenza. The recipe is very similar to the one prepared in Ligurian Santo Stefano d’Aveto, made with flour, butter, eggs, and a touch of salt, with the only difference between the two is that those from Piacenza are additionally flavored with rum. Serving suggestions are also slightly different: while canestrelli are usually served with milk, tea or coffee, in Emilia-Romagna, they are traditionally paired with sweet local wines.Expand

Liguria, especially the area around Montoggio, is a home to a special variety of canestrelli cookies made with chestnut flour. Once a poor man's cookie made with locally available ingredients, these buttery cookies with a distinctive flavor of chestnut and honey are nowadays one of the most famous local treats. Their preparation is taken very seriously: the dough must be kneaded by hand, left to rest for a long time, and it is then baked in wood-fired ovens.Expand

Canestrello Novese is a crunchy, hard cookie prepared around the municipalities of Novi and Ovada in the Piedmontese province of Alessandria. Made with flour, olive oil, white Gavi wine, yeast, sugar, and salt, these ancient ring-shaped cookies have a typical amber color. Their sweet flavor makes them a perfect choice for breakfast, paired with coffee, milk, or tea.Expand

The Piedmontese version of canestrelli is a waffle-shaped hard cookie made with white flour, butter, eggs, and lemon zest, named after canesterlè, a type of iron press in which they were baked. The small ball of dough was placed in the middle, pressed and then baked on the fire until golden brown and crunchy. Nowadays, the basic dough is often additionally enriched with rum, vermouth, marsala wine, cloves, nutmeg, or vanilla.Expand

Unlike other canestrelli varieties, the ones traditionally prepared in Brugnato are soft, dark brown in color, and very large – they can reach up to 20 cm in diameter. This simple sweet bread is made with leavened dough that is flavored with honey and anise seeds, which give it a characteristic, delicately sweet, aromatic kick. Canestrelli di Brugnato are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, especially if paired with a cup of coffee or tea.Expand

With a texture somewhere between a cookie and a pastry, canestrello di Avosso is a crunchy, golden brown treat traditionally prepared in Avosso di Casella near Genoa. The dough is made with wheat flour, butter, and sugar, and it must be kneaded by hand, rolled and cut with a cookie stamp, then brushed with milk and tossed in sugar before baking. Although nowadays they might seem as a simple sweet, in the eastern part of Liguria, they used to be a symbol of abundance, prepared for religious feasts such as Palm Sunday: together with hazelnut necklaces, apples, and dried fruit, canestrelli di Avosso were used to decorate olive branches that people would take to church for a blessing.Expand

Although canestrelli are more famous in their sweet varieties, Taggia is the birthplace of a special, savory version. Canestrelli di Taggia are crunchy, lightly savory, ring-shaped biscuits similar to taralli pugliesi, made with white flour and extra virgin olive oil, preferably of the renowned local variety which is made from Taggiasca olives.Expand