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Cornuelles
Aniseed biscuits
Cornuelles: triangular aniseed biscuits from Charente for Palm Sunday
On Palm Sunday in Villebois-Lavalette, in Charente, stalls sell cornuelles, hard triangular biscuits with a hole in the middle, threaded onto a stick or a sprig of blessed box. The three points are said to stand for the Trinity, and children carry them home from church. They are crisp and scented with aniseed, glazed with a thin sugar icing. Chef's tip: roll the dough thin and even, about 5 mm, so every biscuit bakes through crisp without burning at the points.
- Total time
- 68 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅝ oz unsalted buttersoft
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp aniseedlightly crushed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the glaze
- 3 ½ oz icing sugar
- 1 tbsp water
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Rub the 2 ⅝ oz unsalted butter into the 10 ½ oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp aniseed, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, then bind with the 1 egg and 3 tbsp whole milk into a firm dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough to 5 mm and cut triangles with 8 cm sides. Make a hole in the middle of each with a small piping nozzle or a straw.
10 minStep 3: Bake on lined trays for 15–18 minutes until pale gold and firm. A common mistake is pulling them out while soft in the middle; they should feel dry and crisp at the edges.
18 minStep 4: Mix the 3 ½ oz icing sugar and 1 tbsp water to a thin glaze and brush over the warm biscuits. Leave to set, then thread onto sticks or ribbon. They keep 2 weeks in a tin.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cornuelles take?
- About 68 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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