Raviole di san Giuseppe: typical cookies of Bologna

Raviole are bite-sized treats from Bologna in central Italy. They are traditionally eaten at the feast of San Giuseppe in March,

for about 40 cookies
Ingredients

250 g (2 cups ) flour 00
125 g ( 1/2 cup ) butter
100 g ( 1/2 cup ) white sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 small eggs
grated organic lemon peel (1/2 lemon)
sugar strands to decorate
plum jam or Mostarda of Bologna (For the filling, you can choose from your favorite sweet mostarda or jam.)

Directions

1. Starting with butter that has been left out of the refrigerator, cut it into chunks.

2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

3. Then add lemon peel, eggs and butter, and knead the dough.

4. When rolling out the dough, you will want to obtain a thin layer (1/4″ )

5. Use a glass or round cookie cutters to get as many circular pieces as possible (2 1/2 to  3 ” in diameter).

6. Fill with a bit of jam and close to form a half-moon.

7. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the raviole are pale golden. If desired, lightly brush the surface of the raviole with a combination of bitter almond liqueur and aniseed liqueur.

8. Sprinkle extra   sugar over the top while they are still warm and allow to cool completely before eating. Raviole will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.