Bauletti Crema Limone – Italian Lemon Cream Shortbread Cookies

Small parcels of Tuscan shortbread, folded around a bright, fragrant lemon cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Bauletti means "little trunks" — the shape the dough is folded into before it meets the oven.

They are made at Bristot, an artisan bakery working in San Gimignano, in the Tuscan hills, since 1957. The pasta frolla is short and buttery, kneaded by hand so the crumb stays tender; the filling is added by hand, one parcel at a time.

The lemon cuts straight through the butter — sharp, clean, unmistakably Italian. Perfect with tea, with a morning cappuccino, or with a small glass of Vin Santo at the end of a meal.

At a glance

• Type: Filled shortbread cookies (pasta frolla)
• Filling: Lemon cream
• Finish: Dusted with powdered sugar
• Method: Dough worked and filled by hand
• Bakery: Bristot, San Gimignano, Tuscany · since 1957
• Format: 200 g tray (7.05 oz)