About This Befanini Cookies

Befanini are traditional Italian anise cookies rooted in Tuscan winter baking. Named after La Befana, a folkloric figure associated with Epiphany and the sharing of sweets, they’ve long been baked during the colder months to bring a sense of lightness and joy.

According to local legend, their signature anise flavor traces back to the 19th century, when a cargo ship carrying anise sank in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Viareggio. What returned to shore found its way into local kitchens, shaping a cookie whose aroma became unmistakable.

At Emporio Rulli, Befanini are our most playful pastry. Shaped as stars and finished with colorful nonpareils, they delight children at the pastry case and bring a feeling of nostalgia to adults. Bright, cheerful, and easy to love, they offer a welcome bit of color during the quieter winter months.

Ingredients:
Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, Galliano liqueur, lemon, salt, anise seed, nonpareil sugar
Nut free