Pizzicati (Italian Pinch Cookies)
User Reviews
4.9
90 reviews
Excellent
Pizzicati (Italian Pinch Cookies)
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Pizzicati are delicate Italian cookies made from a dough combining flour, powdered sugar, corn starch, baking powder, lemon zest, butter, vanilla, and egg. The dough is chilled, rolled thin, cut into rounds, and pinched at the edges to hold a dollop of strawberry jam in the center before baking. The cookies have a tender crumb with a slight crispness, balanced by the fruity jam filling. Precise rolling thickness and gentle handling are key to maintain shape during baking.
Description
These Pizzicati cookies feature a dough created from all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, corn starch, baking powder, and lemon zest combined with butter, vanilla extract, and an egg. After mixing, the dough is chilled for an hour, then rolled thin to allow for delicacy and proper pincing. A small round cookie cutter shapes the dough, which is pinched to hold a spoonful of strawberry or apricot jam in the center.
The baking process yields cookies with a tender yet slightly crisp texture. The lemon zest adds brightness to the sweet dough, complementing the fruity jam. Proper rolling with minimal flour dusting helps the cookies hold their pinched shape and prevents splitting in the oven.
These petite cookies are ideal for serving with tea or coffee. Variations in jam fillings and nuts can personalize the flavor. They freeze well after baking and thaw quickly without losing texture.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 215 g
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting, 30 g
- 1/4 cup corn starch 30 g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- lemon zest of 1
- 10 tablespoons butter room temperature, unsalted, 140 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine the flour, powdered sugar, corn starch, baking powder, and lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients: To the bowl with the dry ingredients, add softened butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Using a hand mixer, beat on low just until the flour is a little wet, then increase the speed to medium until the dough becomes a loose grainy mixture, about 3 to 4 minutes. Take a rubber spatula and scoop around the bowl then knead with the spatula (or your hands) for a minute or so just until you have a slightly sticky, cohesive dough. (If using a stand mixer 1 to 2 minutes at medium speed will likely be enough to form a cohesive dough.)
- Wrap the dough and chill: Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form it into a 1-inch thick disk. Place it in the fridge to chill for one hour.
- Roll out the cookie dough: Dust a countertop with flour, but don't use too much. You want the dough to be a little sticky so it holds the pinch in the next step. (You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper.) Roll out the dough into a disk that is less than 1/4 inch thick (about the height of 2 quarters stacked on top of each other). You want to get 30 to 40 cookies out of the dough. If it's rolled too thick the pinch may not hold. Use a 2 1/2 -inch biscuit or cookie cutter and cut out as many circles as you can. Transfer the circles to a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
- Fill and pinch the cookies: Place a 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the center of each circle. Then lift the sides, pinch the tops together about three fingertips wide across the top, but leave the ends open. Fold the pinched side down to the left or right side of the cookie.The cookies will not spread, so as you pinch them you can move them so the pinched cookies are only about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. I can get 20 pinched cookies on a single baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake in a 350°F oven for 12-14 minutes. The bottoms will be lightly golden, the jam will spread to the open ends, but the cookies will still be pale and don’t take on much color.
- Cool and dust the cookies: When the cookies are ready remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
- Use a light dusting of flour or roll dough between parchment to prevent sticking without over-flouring.
- Chill dough if it becomes too soft to handle, usually 20 minutes in the fridge helps.
- Rolling dough thin is crucial; thick dough can cause pinched edges to open during baking.
- Cookie cutter size affects yield; 2.5-inch cutters yield about 30 cookies from this dough.
- A food processor can be used to combine ingredients efficiently by pulsing dry and wet components separately.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
64.8kcal
(3%)
Carbohydrates
8.3g
(3%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
3.1g
(5%)
Saturated Fat
1.9g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.2g
(1%)
Monounsaturated Fat
0.8g
(4%)
Trans Fat
0.1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
15.7mg
(5%)
Sodium
32mg
(1%)
Potassium
12.9mg
(0%)
Fiber
0.2g
(1%)
Sugar
2.9g
(6%)
Vitamin A
99.4IU
(2%)
Vitamin C
0.3mg
(0%)
Calcium
6.5mg
(1%)
Iron
0.3mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 30cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 648 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 64.8kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 8.3g | 3% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 3.1g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1.9g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.8g | 4% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 15.7mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 32mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 12.9mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 2.9g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 99.4IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 6.5mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
90 reviews
Excellent
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