You’d think that with age, one develops a greater sense of independence. At least I did, but at approximately 10 months old, Luka began refusing to sleep in his own bed. It’s not like he was ever alone; a mere step away and within clear eye-shot, there isn’t space in my tiny apartment to place him out of reach. Nonetheless, that short distance is suddenly intolerable, a terrifying void into which his cries for help echo endlessly, pitifully, desperately. No matter how happily he’s climbed into that plush pineapple earlier this evening, it’s a different story the moment the lights go out.
Despite growing up with a dog through most of my childhood, I never let Isis sleep with me in bed. The sweet little ball of fur was liable to wake up in the middle of the night and either tear through irreplaceable stuffed animals or leave her mark in all new places, if you get my drift. For the sake of my sanity though, I started to relent, to do anything to stop Luka’s ear-splitting howls. Though we’ve mostly gotten along as harmonious bedfellows, it’s still a considerable challenge for me to slumber soundly through the night, as a lifelong solo sleeper. It’s not uncommon to wake up around 2 AM to discover Luka burrowing deep into my armpit, licking my bare feet, or rubbing his balls across my neck. Oh, the glamorous life of dog motherhood.
If we can both clock at least 6 hours of solid shut-eye before sunlight spills out from between the curtains at daybreak, I think that at least one of us has earned a serious breakfast treat.
Make that a replica Stella D’Oro breakfast treat, to be exact. A relic of old school Italian baking rarely found on grocery store shelves these days, such basic biscuits hearken back to simpler times, when just a subtle sweetness and a light crunch would do the trick. It had been many years since these crisp morsels passed my mind, but in conversations about cravings, a friend insisted that these were the only thing that she missed from her pre-vegan days. Clearly, this was a critical omission in great annals of eggless baking.
Better than biscotti, these essential s-shaped cookies are ideal for dunking into coffee, slathering with jam, or munching on the go. There’s no wrong way to enjoy them since their neutral palate pairs beautifully with any drink, side, or topping you can dream up. Just make sure you do stop dreaming in time to wake up for breakfast; you won’t want to miss out on these treats.
Copycat Stella D’Oro Breakfast Treats
Better than biscotti, these essential s-shaped cookies are ideal for dunking into coffee, slathering with jam, or munching on the go. There’s no wrong way to enjoy them since their neutral palate pairs beautifully with any drink, side, or topping you can dream up. Just make sure you do stop dreaming in time to wake up for breakfast; you won’t want to miss out on these treats.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 Cups Bread Flour
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Potato Starch
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
Eggless Wash:
- 1 Tablespoon Aquafaba
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or pieces of parchment paper.
- Whisk together the bread flour, sugar, potato starch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separately, combine the water, oil, and all three flavored extracts. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry, mixing thoroughly to combine, forming a thick dough. You may need to use your hands or a stand mixer to completely incorporate all the flour.
- Pinch off golf ball-sized pieces of dough. Roll each between lightly moistened hands, forming them into snakes approximately 4 – 5 inches long. Twist into “S” shapes and place on your baking sheets.
- Prepare the eggless wash by simply combining the aquafaba and maple syrup in a small dish. Brush evenly over the tops of the cookies just before baking.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the cooking time, until golden brown all over. Let cool completely before enjoying or storing in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
I was just thinking about these cookies! When my grandparents came here from Italy, with my father and his brothers in tow, they worked at the Stella D’Oro factory in the Bronx, before it was demolished. I never liked them growing up because they were a little to ‘unsweet’ for me. Now that I’m older I think I’d appreciate them more, because the overly sweet cookies no longer appeal to me. I wouldn’t have expected lemon in the ingredients, I’m excited to try this one.
When I started reading the post, I thought these were going to be Stella D’Oro dog treats! Maybe you can try those next :)
Stella D’Oro dog treats? Now that’s a fun idea! I think I need to make a follow-up recipe… Although, there’s nothing that would prevent these from being suitable for dogs as well… ;)
Hmm… I had a rescue cat that lived to 22 (no idea of her real age) and every few days/weeks/months I’d try letting her run free at night. All fine, cat sleeping at the bottom of the bed… but always came the wake up puggle of feet on my body and loud purring usually around 1am when she wanted as a nocturnal to play/be fed. I tried, but I need my sleep
It’s definitely a struggle, weighing the pros and cons between a cozy critter and a full night of sleep… Ultimately, you do need to take care of yourself (and sanity) first, so it sounds like you made the right choice.
Oh dear, your description of Luka’s nighttime shenanigans gave me quite a laugh! Silly little boy, let your mama sleep!
LOL at Luka’s neck-related activities. Good heavens! Hahahahahaha.
I gotta say… I didn’t even know I wanted this recipe until you shared it. Thank you! It’s been decades, most likely, since I had one of these cookies at my nonna’s (Italian grandmother’s) and I think I’m gonna try my hand at these and bring them to her and my mum as a surprise :D You rock, Hannah. Thank you.
And welcome back from your travels! You must have had a stellar time!
Cheers and smiles : )
I just hope they live up to your memories! I can’t make any claims about authenticity, but they certainly did hit the sweet spot for me. I’d love to get your feedback, as always!
Beautiful cookies! I have been looking for a vegan substitute for egg wash, now I got here, thanks.
It’s such a handy little formula, and so simple. I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
These look wonderful, yum! I’m in the same situation with Miko, he hates not being in bed with us and always wants to cuddle up to the point I wake up sweating.
Oh my gosh I had forgotten about Stella D’Oro . When my sister d I went to the local Cumberland farms with our sweaty handful of change to pick a treat is was on the shortlist of favorites. Luka sounds scrumptious but, um, if anyone licked my bare feet in the middle of the night I’d shriek!
I’m not going to claim that I took the rude awakening gracefully! Haha, it’s a good thing he’s so sweet and easy to forgive.
I don’t think I’ve ever had these cookies but oh! The midnight shenanigans. I think I’ve gotten soft as I’ve gotten older because with my four previous cats I didn’t hesitate to lock them out of the bedroom, but just can’t with my needy JP. That being said, after he jumped on our heads for the fourth time last night, my husband had had enough!
Oh dear, four is certainly a handful! It would be tough to manage such a party all together in the daytime, let alone for a restful night of sleep!
Thank you for veganizing a childhood memory! These tasted delicious! Unfortunately, the dough was rather lumpy looking, even after baking. Did I not incorporate the dough enough? Too little flour? Suggestions? Definitely baking again!
Yay, I’m so glad they held up to taste expectation! As for the texture of the dough, it’s definitely a very dry, stiff one, so it can be difficult to smoothly incorporate all of the ingredients. I would suggest rolling the “snakes” between your hands just a little bit longer next time, to even out the pieces more. Let me know how that goes!
Thank you! That totally worked! Now I need to perfect the color. Mine weren’t golden brown. Call me a perfectionist. You have me hooked! Keep the old school Italian favorites comin’!
Success! As for browning… You could try doubling the maple syrup (2 tablespoons total) to try to enhance the caramelization on top.
Do you happen to have a recipe for the Stella D’oro Egg Jumbo cookies? Those were my favorite and I can’t find anything like them or a recipe.
I’m afraid this is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a cookie! I don’t have a recipe, but I checked out labels and when you break down the ingredients, these are the basics: flour, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, baking soda, baking powder, salt, orange oil, vanilla extract, soybean oil.
I’m not sure what the texture should be judging from the photos, but I think it’s more of a crisp cookie? The most reasonable starting point I found was this: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/238659/citrus-egg-yolk-cookies/
To veganize it, replace the egg yolks with JUST egg (1 tablespoon per yolk) and then I’d swap out the butter with maybe 1/2 cup soybean oil to match the original.
Please let me know if that works! I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.
How about any recipes from the Stella Door, Lady Stella assortment? I would love that!