🇮🇹 Italian · Dessert
🥖 Cuzzupe Calabresi
Cuzzupe
Calabria's own braided Easter cookies, their dough shaped into decorative rings or braids around whole hard-boiled eggs, a simpler, crunchier cousin to Cuddura cu l'Ova.
While cuddura is a soft yeasted bread, cuzzupe are firmer, cookie-like, and unleavened by comparison, their glossy egg-wash finish and colorful sprinkles making them a favorite for Calabrian children to help decorate each Easter.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Baking sheet
- 500 g (4 cups) 00 flour
- 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- Hard-boiled eggs, in their shells, for decorating
- Colorful sprinkles
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light.
- Beat in the 3 eggs and lemon zest.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold into the wet ingredients to form a firm, workable dough.
- Rest the dough, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Divide into portions and shape into ropes, braiding or coiling them into rings or decorative shapes.
- Nestle a hard-boiled egg into each shape, securing gently with a bit of extra dough if needed.
- Rest for a further 30 minutes.
- Brush with beaten egg and scatter with colorful sprinkles.
- Bake at 180C (350F) for 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Cool before serving.
Chef Tips
- The dough should be firm enough to hold decorative shapes like braids and rings without spreading.
- These are traditionally a fun, hands-on project for children to help shape and decorate.
- Securing the eggs well prevents them from shifting during baking.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making the dough too soft, causing the decorative shapes to lose definition during baking.
- Not securing the eggs well, allowing them to roll out of position.
- Skipping the egg wash, which is what gives the finished cookies their glossy sheen.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the eggs.
Cultural Note
Cuzzupe are a beloved Calabrian Easter tradition, their firm, cookie-like texture and playful decorative shapes making them a favorite for children to help create each spring.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Not applicable; served at room temperature.
Serve with: As part of an Easter breakfast or holiday table