Categorized somewhere between a cookie and a rusk, biscotti del Lagaccio are named after a Genovese quarter where they were allegedly invented around 1593. In the beginning, they were simple double-baked biscuits made only with flour, butter, yeast, and sugar, but over time, the basic recipe was changed with the addition of wild fennel seeds and a few drops of anise liqueur, giving them their typical flavor.
Delicately sweet, biscotti del Lagaccio make a perfect breakfast or an afternoon snack, especially if paired with a cup of caffè latte or tea.
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.
Rotelle di Borzonasca are traditional shortbread cookies produced in Liguria ever since the 19th century. They are round, with serrated edges and a hole in the middle, and due to their shape, which is reminiscent of small wheels, they got the name rotelle, or in dialect ruëtta.
Made with chestnut flour, they are firm but flaky, baked until golden, and then served generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.
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