Learn how to quickly make Scarcelle Pugliesi - traditional Italian Easter Cookie Cakes from Puglia decorated with a hard boiled egg.
They are yeast free and very easy to make.
Make them to add in your DIY holiday gift basket or package nicely and give as a small sign of goodwill to friends and neighbors.
And of course enjoy these cookies at Easter table with your family!
As you see from the pictures, they can be made in different shapes.
All using the same dough! Don't forget to download Easter Bunny, Easter Dove and Easter Basket shapes at the bottom of the page.
Color sprinkles is a must, but white glaze is optional 😉
Full Recipe
Scarcelle Pugliesi - Italian Easter Egg Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups flour , 15 oz
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk + 2 tablespoon if needed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoon if needed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 lemon zest only
For the glaze:
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
For decoration:
- 4 eggs raw or boiled
- Color sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking power, pinch of salt and lemon zest. Give a nice stir.
- Add milk and extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t like a strong taste of olive oil mix it 1:1 with quality vegetable oil.
- Mix everything well in the bowl and continue working the dough on a work surface.
- Knead for a couple of minutes until you get a smooth ball of dough.
- Cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
- Once piece roll into a sheet approx ⅓ inch thick. Cut out Easter shapes you like.
- You can do Easter bunny, Easter dove or Easter basket (you can download and print some of the shapes using links below this recipes).
- From the cut parts roll thin ropes.
- Place an egg in the center of the Easter shape, water lightly sides of the prepared ropes and use them to fix the egg in place. Lightly brush all over each shape with water and top with color sprinkles.
- Divide the remaining large piece of the dough again in 6 parts.
- Roll each piece into a rope approx. 9 inches long.
- Using 3 pieces make a braid sealing free ends and forming a ring shape.
- Transfer scarcelle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place an egg in the center of each scarcella.
- Bake in a preheated to 350F oven for 40-45 minutes until lightly brown.
- In the meantime prepare the glaze.
- Beat egg white with a pinch of salt and lemon juice until foamy. Continue to beat and slowly add in confectioners sugar. Beat for a few minutes until still peaks.
- Once scarcelle are out of the oven let them cool lightly.
- Cover each not yet decorated scarcella with the glaze and color sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Download Easter Cookie Shapes (On Desktop: click to open then right click "Save Image As")
Happy Easter and Buona Pasqua!
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