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4.2 from 69 votes

Authentic Italian Butter Cookies Recipe

If you love the butter cookies you find at Italian bakeries, then this authentic Italian butter cookies recipe is perfect for you! It is just one simple recipe but offers so many scrumptious possibilities that are perfect for serving during the holiday season in a mixed cookie tin.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 159 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:
  • 300 grams all-purpose flour
  • 200 grams unsalted butter softened
  • 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For decorating choose one method (optional):
  • powdered sugar as desired
  • apricot raspberry or strawberry jam for filling cookie sandwiches as desired
  • Nutella or other chocolate spread as desired
  • 70% dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips as desired for melting and dipping as desired
  • Sprinkles as desired

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. First put the softened butter (room temperature), granulated sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whip together using an electric hand beater (or a stand mixer if you prefer) for about 5 minutes or until creamy, airy and smooth.
  2. Now add the yolk and beat into the mixture for another minute or two.
  3. Add all the flour at once and fold into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon until well blended.
  4. Put the cookie dough onto a lightly floured flat surface, and knead with your hands to form a large log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and flatten a bit and put in the fridge to chill for 2 to 3 hours.
  5. When the cookie dough is almost done chilling, preheat the oven to 180° C | 350 F.
  6. Remove a third of the dough and put it on a lightly floured surface. Roll out with a rolling pin. If you are going to make sandwich cookies, the dough should be rolled out to a thickness of about 3 mm. Instead, if you are going to simply decorate the cookies they can be 4-5 mm thick.
  7. Using cookie cutters, make any shapes you want and put them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  8. Bake in a static oven at 180° C | 350 F for 10 minutes for thinner cookies and 12 minutes for thicker cookies. They should turn a light golden brown.
  9. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cooled you can proceed to either dip them in chocolate, fill them to make sandwich cookies, or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Notes

  • Chocolate-dipped cookies. Make these delicious cookies even better by dipping them in sweet, heavenly melted chocolate. To make the chocolate version, start by melting 100 grams of dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bain-marie, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Then dip half of each Italian butter cookie into the melted chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can let the chocolate harden at room temperature or in the fridge, whichever you prefer. You can even top with rainbow sprinkles by rolling the melted chocolate-covered part of the cookie immediately in a dish filled with sprinkles, either on one side or both and then let cool completely until hardened.
  • Italian sandwich cookies with filling. If you think the cookie by itself sounds yummy, how about making the cookies spread with a generous portion of either Nutella, chocolate ganache or jam (such as apricot, strawberry or raspberry jam) on the flat side of one cookie and then pressed with a second cookie to form Italian sandwich cookies. For an even more precise application you can use a piping bag with your filling of choice.
  • Puffier Italian butter cookies. If you want your Italian butter cookies to be a little puffier and lighter and less dense you can stir in a teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda into the flour before adding the flour mixture into the butter. Baking powder or soda will give your homemade butter cookies a little lift while baking.
  • Chocolate butter cookies. There are two more ways to use chocolate to make your butter cookies a chocolate lovers dream. One way is to add in 50 grams of mini chocolate chips directly into the dough before you chill it to make chocolate chip butter cookies. A second way is to add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dough when you add the flour and make a chocolate butter cookie.

Nutrition Information

Calories 159kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 2mg (0%) Potassium 20mg (1%) Fiber 0.4g (2%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 263IU (5%) Calcium 6mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 159

% Daily Value*

Calories 159kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Potassium 20mg 0%
Fiber 0.4g 2%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 263IU 5%
Calcium 6mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.