Fragrant and perfumed, the Offelle di Parona will win you over

Offelle are a genuine product, a typical biscuit from the province of Pavia which has slowly conquered Italy and Europe. Here's the recipe!

Offelle di Parona are a typical biscuit from Lomellina , the area between the Sesia river, the Po and the Ticino. Located mostly in the province of Pavia, it gave birth to a recipe which, with its simple authenticity , was able to conquer all of Italy and also reach the rest of the world.

It is thought that this shortbread-like biscuit was born in the early 1900s when housewives and prestinai (the ancestors of our bakers) used to prepare sweets to sell on the occasion of the Feast of the Madonna del Rosario which was celebrated in October.

Over the years the recipe has undergone few changes, remaining almost unchanged compared to the original. What makes this biscuit so appreciated are the genuine ingredients used for its preparation: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, oil and yeast. Let's discover the recipe for this biscuit together!

How to prepare the Offelle di Parona recipe

The dough is similar to that of a shortcrust pastry and it is on this that the perfect success of the recipe depends. The original recipe is secretly kept by the only three producers located near the city, however with repeated attempts we managed to obtain a biscuit just like the original!

1. On the work surface, arrange the sifted flour with the icing sugar , giving it the shape of a fountain. Place the very cold diced butter in the center and start working the mixture with your fingertips. When the butter has almost completely mixed in, add the egg , salt and yeast and finish kneading.
2. Wrap the dough obtained in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
3. Using two sheets of baking paper, roll it out to half a centimeter thick, then cut out the shapes with the appropriate cookie cutter. You can also use an oval mold and give the characteristic pointed shape to the ends by hand.
4. Place the biscuits on a baking tray and bake at 190°C for 10-12 minutes . Let them cool on a rack before serving.

Offelle are excellent with tea or coffee and can be stored in a tin container for over a week.

Also tried the recipe for another typical Italian biscuit: cantucci !