Befanini Versiliesi: Traditional Italian Epiphany Cookies

Years ago, on my old food blog, I created a Biscuit Advent Calendar, sharing a different biscuit recipe every day from December 1st to December 25th. I’m now bringing those recipes back to La Mora Romagnola, one at a time, so that these little pieces of baking history can be enjoyed again.

For this recipe, I have to thank my friend Elisa, who has been sharing these simple, colourful biscuits on her blog, Versilia in Pentola, for years. I had never got around to making them, but I knew they deserved a place in my Advent calendar.

Befanini versiliesi are traditional biscuits from Versilia, a coastal area of Tuscany, associated with Epiphany, celebrated in Italy on January 6th. They are usually larger than ordinary biscuits and are often decorated with colourful sugar sprinkles.

This recipe comes from Elisa’s mum, and I followed it faithfully. There is room for a few variations, though: you can choose different liqueurs to flavour the dough, and use orange or lemon zest, depending on your taste.

I didn’t have any large enough cookie cutters, but that wasn’t a problem! I simply used the cutters I had at home. The recipe makes plenty of biscuits, even when using cutters about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter, so you can halve the quantities if you prefer.

If you enjoy baking cookies and discovering traditions from around the world, you might also like my cookbook, Biscotti dal mondo, now available in English on Amazon. It brings together recipes inspired by biscuit traditions from different countries.

Find the book here: Cookies from Around the World by Claudia Martinelli on Amazon.com

Befanini Versiliesi: Italian Epiphany Biscuits

Yield: About 40 biscuits
Prep time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes per batch

Ingredients

• 500 g all-purpose flour

• 300 g granulated sugar

• 150 g butter

• 3 eggs

• About 75 ml whole milk

• 1 sachet baking powder

• Zest of 1 orange or lemon

• A pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon rum, Marsala, Sassolino or another liqueur

• Coloured sugar sprinkles

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. Add the butter and eggs, then knead energetically. Add the liqueur and citrus zest.

3. Gradually add enough milk to obtain a soft, smooth dough that holds its shape and is not too sticky. You may not need all the milk.

4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the biscuits using your favourite cookie cutters and arrange them on baking trays lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them.

6. Sprinkle the coloured sugar decorations over the biscuits. To help them stick, you can brush the surface with beaten egg, although I prefer not to do this. Alternatively, use a light syrup made with equal parts sugar and water, or a thin layer of honey.

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes, depending on the size of the biscuits, until the edges are golden.

8. Allow the biscuits to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Notes

• Flavouring: Rum, Marsala and Sassolino are all possible choices. Use whichever you prefer.

• Citrus: Orange zest gives a sweet, fragrant flavour, while lemon zest creates a fresher note.

• Storage: These biscuits keep for more than a week in an airtight container, once completely cool.