As we find ourselves right in the middle of this magical season, stuffed with pastries and festive desserts, this week I would like to leave you, dear reader, with one of my favourite holiday sweets.
Ferri di Cavallo, or better translated as “Horseshoe Biscuits”.
Odd, right?
Although their name may be strange, these delicious crescent-shaped cookies are a favourite of my region, and for a very important reason. Their history roots them in the west, particularly in Italy and Central Europe.
We don’t know for certain, but perhaps they originated from pagan and religious customs or within the Viennese and Central European baking traditions, where crescent-shaped pastries and biscuits were already popular as early as the 18th century. Their unusual shape may have been inspired by the Ottoman crescent—a symbol that was often reinterpreted in recipes during the cultural exchanges between Europe and the Ottoman Empire—and, of course, by horseshoes!
In Italy, Ferri di Cavallo have become an integral part of the culture and artisanal pastry-making, for their simple ingredients like butter, flour, and sugar that make them incredibly versatile and so crumbly.
Their popularity is certainly due to their symbolic shape, as the horseshoe is attributed to good luck, but their easy recipe and the addition of a chocolate coating definitely increased their adoration, making them a loved dessert for festive occasions and gifts.
Here is my lovely mama’s recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy these sweets as much as I do.
You’ll need:
- 350 g of all-purpose Flour
- 150 g of Potato Starch
- 300 g of Cold Butter or Margarine
- 125 g of Powdered Sugar
- 1 dose of Vanillin (2 teaspoons)
- 200 g of Dark Chocolate
Instructions:
- Mix everything in a single bowl, starting with the flour and cold butter, until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Add the potato starch, the powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and knead to form a smooth dough.
- Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let it rest, either at room temperature or in the fridge, for at least 20 minutes.
- Take small portions of dough and roll them into little logs, then form them into a horseshoe or “U” shape.
- Place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges start to turn slightly golden.
- Let the biscuits cool completely.
- Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler.
- Dip the end of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate and let them dry on a rack or parchment paper.
- Once the chocolate has set, you can enjoy your Ferri di Cavallo. For storing them, I strongly recommend keeping them in an airtight container, away from any source of heat, or also directly in the fridge.
My mum also advises putting a sheet of parchment paper between each layer, so the sweets do not rest on top of each other. I’m very fond of dark chocolate, and traditionally they are coated in it, but feel free to use white or milk chocolate as well and to even decorate them with sprinkles if that’s what you like.
I do not know how many cookies can come out from this recipe—my mother says a ton—so eat as many as you like and have a very merry season!
Up, my mama Christmas cookies several years ago
Sources:
Ferri di Cavallo: Un Biscotto con Storia e Fortuna
My family’s expertise
My mama’s family recipe book
The Library of the Unseen 
Beautiful description of my sign! Thank you ☺️ 😘😘