Sweet Spiced Cookies Vercelli Style (Piedmont)

Desserts

Ingredients

Butter- 1 3/8 cups

Granulated sugar- 2/3 cup

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Ground cinnamon, cloves, corlander, grated nutmeg and white pepper- pinch of each

Eggs- 2

Egg yolks- 3

All-purpose flour- 3 cups

Very fine cornmeal- 3/4 cup

Butter for baking sheet

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the rind and spices. Beat in, seperately, first the whole eggs and then the yolks.

Sift the two flours together and quickly mix into the creamed butter and eggs, working the dough as little as possible. Butter a baking sheet. Put the dough into a piping bag and pipe it out on to the baking sheet in strips about 4 inches long. Bake in a moderate oven (375F) for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.