Zaleti - cookies to fight nostalgia

I’ve been a bit nostalgic lately. I have to be honest here. I do not feel much nostalgy for Italy. I don’t miss living there. I do miss Europe and, above all, European people. I work in an Italian immersion pre-school and some of the teachers are Italians but still...we are living in the States. The environment is different. The vibe is different. The cultural entourage is different. I adapt very easily to different cultures. I lived in three different continents and I can adapt fairly quickly. But adapting does not mean conforming. I am and I will always be and feel and foreigner. And sometimes I really get nostalgic and wish I could live without feeling a foreigner.

One thing that usually cheers me up in these moments is to bake something that belongs to my place and people. These cookies are very much so. And very much part of my childhood memories.

Zaleti

Ingredients for about 60 cookies

200 g (7 oz) all purpose-flour

50 g (1.77 oz ) corn flour

150 g (5.3 oz) butter

75 g (2.6 oz) confectioners’ sugar

2 egg yolks

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

5 g (1 tsp) baking powder

1 pinch salt

chocolate chips and/or raisins (optional)

Method

In a medium bowl, sift the flours and cut the chilly butter in. With the tips of your fingers, gently work the butter until you obtain small buttery crumbs.

Add the sugar, the vanilla extract, the egg yolks, the baking powder and the salt. (If you decide to add chocolate chips or raisins add them now)

Quickly work the dough first with a fork and then with your hands until all the ingredients are all incorporated. The dough is similar to a pasta frolla so you need to work it quickly otherwise you will “burn” it. Wrap the dough into plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Once the dough is chilly, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Take small pieces of dough at a time (keeping the rest cool in the fridge), roll them out in long thin rolls and cut small chunks of dough (about 1” long).

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake them for about 20-25 minutes.

Let the cookies cool down completely before serving because they break down easily.

Have a sweet day!

Source: menta e cioccolato