Italian filled Christmas cookies

7. 10. 2025

The soft dough filled with cherry jam, boiled grape must and candied lemon is more demanding in terms of ingredients, but the result is definitely worth it. Try something new and unconventional again and you won’t regret it!

What you will need

• 2 and 1/3 cups 00 pizza flour plus extra for flouring the work surface
• 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1/2 cup anise liqueur
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cherry jam
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted flaked almonds
• 1/3 cup sliced candied lemon
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of reduced Saba grape must
• 1 large egg (separated into yolk and white)
• 1 tablespoon of water
• powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Method

• Place the flour, lemon zest and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined.
• Add the butter.
• Mix until you have small pieces of butter.
• Add the anise syrup and vanilla extract and pulse until the batter comes together.
• Shape the dough evenly into 2 six-centimeter discs.
• Wrap the dough discs in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the cherry jam, almonds, lemon and Saba cider in a small bowl.
• Refrigerate uncovered until you are ready to use the mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C with the racks in the upper third and lower third.
• Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until smooth.
• Line 2 large trays with baking paper.
• Unwrap and roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of approx. 0.3 cm.
• Cut 12 circles from the dough using a 6cm round cutter and roll out the leftovers as needed.
• Spread 2 level teaspoons of the jam, almond, lemon and Saba mixture on each circle of dough.
• Brush the edges of the circle lightly with egg white and fold the circle in half to create a crescent that surrounds the filling.
• Press the edges together firmly to form a 0.6cm seal around the filling.
• Pinch the edges gently with a fork.
• Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Once the tray is filled with crescents, refrigerate and repeat the process with the remaining dough disk and filling.
• Cool both trays for at least 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water.
• Using a fork, lightly pierce the tops of the cookies and brush lightly with the yolk mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crescents are puffed and set, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
• Dust the confection with powdered sugar and serve.

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