Italian Butter Cookies
User Reviews
4.9
Italian Butter Cookies
Description
The cookie dough is created by thoroughly whipping softened butter and sugar until fluffy, then incorporating eggs, yolk, and vanilla for richness and moisture. Adding sifted flour produces a soft dough that holds its shape well for piping. Using a star nozzle, the dough is shaped into cookies such as S-shapes, logs, and flowers, sometimes topped with cherries, jam, or nuts for contrast.
Chilling the formed cookies in the refrigerator before baking helps maintain their shape, preventing spread. Baking results in cookies with a tender crumb and delicate texture, typical of butter cookies. Decoration options like melted chocolate and nuts can add complexity and festive appeal once cookies are cooled.
These cookies store best in airtight containers at room temperature to maintain freshness and prevent sticking by layering with parchment paper. The dough and baked cookies can be frozen, allowing flexibility for preparation and storage. Weighing ingredients by grams ensures the best accuracy for baking results.
Ingredients
- 250 g butter softened at room temperature
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 2 egg medium
- 1 egg yolk, medium
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a scraped vanilla bean, pure
- salt optional, a pinch
- 360 g all-purpose flour sifted
TO DECORATE:
- candied cherries
- apricot jam
- 80 g dark chocolate
- 80 g white chocolate
- pistachio crumbled
- coconut flakes
- almonds whole
Instructions
- Whip the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or in a bowl with an electric mixer, for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time into the mixture, and whisk until is fully absorbed before adding the other one, then whisk in the yolk, followed by the vanilla. Whisk for 2 minutes, until your mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the sifted flour and give and mix until fully incorporated. Your cookie dough should be sticky, soft but hold its shape.
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle and pipe the cookies in various shapes directly on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
- You can make S-shaped cookies, logs, flowers, horseshoe cookies, or rounded cookies. You can also make a little well in the center of the round cookies and add a candied cherry, a whole almond or ¼ teaspoon of apricot jam.
- Transfer the baking tray to the fridge and let the cookies refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to180° C / 360° F and arrange the baking tray onto the middle shelf. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are slightly golden. Remove them from the oven and transfer them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before serving.
To decorate the cookies:
- Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate separately using a double boiler, or microwave them in two separate bowls for 30 seconds. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
- Dip some of the cookies in dark chocolate or white chocolate, then sprinkle them with chopped pistachio or coconut flakes if you like. Arrange the chocolate-dipped cookies onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper, and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before storing in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain texture and prevent sticking.
- You can freeze raw cookie dough for up to one month; thaw in refrigerator before use and rewhisk to restore texture.
- Baked cookies without chocolate coating freeze well up to 6 months; thaw at room temperature and optionally reheat briefly to crisp.
- Weigh ingredients for accuracy, as volume measurements can vary; use a kitchen scale when possible.
- Chill cookie dough after piping for at least 30 minutes to reduce spreading and help cookies hold shape while baking.
- Use cloth or silicone piping bags for better dough control; avoid overfilling to prevent dough oozing out the top.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 40Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 64kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 27mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 48mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 5mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 175IU | 4% |
| Calcium | 3mg | 0% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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