I received a gift. I was living one of those crossroads in life when you want a clear purpose—something worth committing to, something that justifies sacrifices and long hours. I wanted a dream to define who I was. A few years ago my passions for food, Tuscany and writing ignited and showed me the path I was meant to follow.
I realized I had been given a gift: I had spent my whole life in the Tuscan countryside, one of the most beautiful places on earth. I could share my love for the region, its food and its traditions. That became the goal I had been searching for—the reason that would guide my daily choices. From January onward this would be my work. What greater gift than to turn passion into purpose?
That feeling of receiving a gift was the first image in my head when Gloria asked us to write about gifts for the Italy blogging roundtable. On December 14th several posts about gifts appeared, including those by Gloria and other writers—each one a different perspective on giving and gratitude.
I’m also a material girl at heart and I adore simple, handmade presents. I love the rustle of decorated paper, the untying of glittered ribbons, and the careful wrapping of homemade gourmet gifts for friends and family.
That love of homemade gifts is one reason I joined the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. The idea was simple and irresistible: sign up, receive three fellow bloggers’ addresses, send each a dozen homemade cookies, receive three different boxes in return, share recipes and inspiration. It’s a festive, delicious way to connect with other food lovers.
The premise is this: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Eat them all yourself (or, you know, share. If you want. No judgement either way.) Post your cookie recipe on your blog. See everyone else’s cookie recipes. Salivate. Get lots of great ideas for next years’ cookie swap. Rinse and repeat.
When Rossella asked the organizers to extend the swap to Italy, we pooled enough food bloggers to take part. Combine food bloggers, cookies, Christmas and a swap and you have one of the most exciting events of the season.
I received a lovely selection of cookies: buttery ginger and chocolate treats from Nathalie, crunchy Sicilian cookies with pistachios and chocolate from Claudia, and inventive chestnut shortbread from Rossella. In turn, my cookies traveled to Luisa, Alessandra and Annamaria.
My recipe was a simple citrus short pastry cookie made with organic flours, butter and free-range eggs, flavored with fresh peels and spices—orange, lemon and mandarin zests, and hints of cardamom or ginger for variety. They make a perfect afternoon tea treat: slightly crunchy, fragrant and fruity. My favourite were the lemon and cardamom cookies—extra special with a steaming cup of black coffee.
Citrus short pastry cookies
Giulia
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Ingredients
- 400 g of organic wheat flour
- 200 g of organic rice flour
- 300 g of raw cane sugar
- 300 g of butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 free range eggs
To flavour the cookies:
- raw cane sugar
- 2 organic oranges
- ground cinnamon
- 4 organic clementines
- fresh ginger root
- 2 organic lemons
- cardamom berries
Instructions
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Place the flours on a wooden surface and make a well in the centre. Add the raw cane sugar, a pinch of salt and diced butter at room temperature.
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Work quickly with your hands to combine flour and butter into a crumbly mixture resembling grated cheese.
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Beat the eggs briefly with a fork, pour them over the crumbs and press the dough together with your hands. Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper and chill for at least one hour.
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Divide the dough into three equal portions.
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Dust each portion with flour and roll to a 5 mm thick rectangle. For one sheet sprinkle 2 tablespoons of raw cane sugar, the grated peel of two oranges and a pinch of cinnamon. For the second, use the peel of four mandarins and a little grated fresh ginger. For the third, add lemon zest and crushed cardamom seeds.
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Roll each sheet into a log, wrap in parchment and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C.
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Slice the logs into 5 mm thick cookies, arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment, leaving space between each, and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden.