Food Memories: Curabiè – Italian Shortcrust Biscuits

Every family has a set of favourite recipes that are passed on from one generation to the next. Dishes you love exactly the way your mum used to make them and which you long for when you grow up. Tastes and aromas that can instantly bring back happy memories.

My family culinary traditions come from the Italian region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia and the city of Trieste where my mum was born and my grand-mother lives. Apart from my mum’s battered but beautiful recipe book, which is covered with hand-written notes and food stains, most of our recipes are handed down verbally. Even the ones that are written down aren’t always very detailed. My mum and my grandma don’t need a recipe after all, as they know exactly how to prepare most dishes by heart. Or they simply improvise: adding a bit of this and a bit of that, until they get the right mix.

Despite having left Italy years ago (or perhaps, because of it) I have now decided to embrace my culinary traditions and learn my family recipes by baking with my mum and grandma and learning first-hand from them. During my last visit to Trieste my mum and I made Curabiè, half-moon biscuits made with shortcrust pastry (similar to Austrian Vanille Kipferl and Greek Kourabiedes).

They are simple biscuits to make but the key is preparing the perfect shortcrust pastry, for which you will need to apply the “a bit of this and that” method. Some days you will need to add more flour, other days the dough will call for more butter. Practice this recipe a few times for the best results.