Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Make an egg wash by mixing the milk and your reserved 1 tbsp of whisked eggs in a small dish.
1 tbsp milk, 3 eggs
Cream together the butter and sugar, mixing for a minute or two. Add in the whisked eggs and vanilla essence mix again until combined.
1/3 cup butter, 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
In a large mixing bowl, add half the flour (2 cups), baking powder and salt. Make a well and add a third of the egg mixture, stirring to incorporate the flour a little at a time. Repeat twice for the remaining two thirds of the egg mixture.
4 cups plain flour / all purpose flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, Pinch salt
Once it forms up into a dough, start kneading with your hands. Add in the remaining 2 cups of flour, half a cup at a time. Once all incorporated, the dough shouldn't be sticking to your hands. If it's still sticky, add a little more flour to make it easier to form your cuddura.
4 cups plain flour / all purpose flour
Form your chosen shapes for each cuddura (see our making cuddura shapes section above or our step-by-step video for the easiest guide to shape each one). Note: Set aside a small portion of dough here to create the strips that will hold your eggs in place. Shapes can be:- Bell Shape- Dove Shape- Baskets or Nest Shape- Anything else you want to create! Once the base shapes are made, top each one with an uncooked egg. Place small single or double strips to hold the eggs on each cuddura. Have fun and get creative here!
5 eggs
Baste with the egg wash then sprinkle with 100s & 1000s.
2 tbsp sprinkles or 100’s & 1000’s
Pop in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Depending on the shapes you chose, some flatter shapes like the dove and bell will cook quicker than the thicker baskets and nests, so put them on a lower rack.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, gift within a day, or remove the eggs to store in the fridge separately. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container.