Soft Italian Café Style Pastries at Home
Soft Italian café style pastries at home are tender, lightly sweet baked treats inspired by everyday Italian coffee bars. With gentle vanilla and citrus flavor, these pastries are perfect with coffee for breakfast, an afternoon pause, or a simple dessert.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Small scoop or spoon
Ingredients
For the Soft Pastries
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter use mild olive oil for delicate flavor
- 1/4 cup milk or plain yogurt yogurt makes them extra tender
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest or orange zest
For Finishing
- powdered sugar for dusting
- sliced almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth and slightly pale.
- Add olive oil or melted butter, milk or yogurt, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Stir in lemon zest, then gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Scoop small portions of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each. Sprinkle with sliced almonds if using.
- Bake until lightly golden and set, then allow to cool slightly.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
For the softest texture, avoid overmixing the batter and do not overbake. Store pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving for the freshest look.