Crunchy and buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Italian butter cookies are perfect for any occasion, especially the holidays. When you walk into an Italian bakery, these cookies are front and center.
I have to admit that homemade is the best, but if you haven’t made it yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. It uses very few materials but is of high quality and very easy to assemble. Making the dough can be difficult, so practice will perfect your piping skills. The key is that the butter and eggs need to come to room temperature. Otherwise, the dough will become too stiff to squeeze out. Don’t be discouraged if you fail. My own plumbing skills have also improved as you can see in this post.
These cookies have a rich, buttery, shortbread-like flavor and a crumbly texture, making them perfect for holiday gifts. I love to box things up or find festive tins to give to family and friends.
It can be made into a horseshoe shape with sweet jam and dipped in white or dark chocolate. After dipping in chocolate, add your favorite sprinkles, coconut, or chopped nuts and enjoy.
I ordered both the piping bag and tip from Amazon. I use a large 16 inch disposable bag. It comes in a pack of quite a few and is very affordable. Also, for the piping tip I used a large star tip Ateco 869 which is also very affordable.
enjoy!
Italian butter cookies for Christmas
A nostalgic Italian butter cookie that you can find at Italian bakeries. Homemade is better, crispy, buttery, and melts in your mouth.
material
1 cup very good quality unsalted butter (at room temperature, try European varieties like bulgras) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg and 1 large egg yolk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1 to 2 tablespoons cream, if needed to make it easier to squeeze 12 ounces of good quality white, dark, or milk chocolate (not candy melts) Mix with 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil and sprinkle with your favorite chocolate
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The butter and eggs should be at room temperature when ready. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Whisk together the salt and flour and add to the butter mixture in portions on low speed until well combined. If the dough looks dry, add the cream a little at a time, if it’s too wet, add the flour a little at a time. Place the dough. Place the dough into a piping bag (source listed in post) Use a tall glass to hold the bag down while filling. Leave enough space at the top so the dough doesn’t collapse. Start piping it out on a cookie sheet. It spread out a bit, so I squeezed it into 2 inch intervals. For better baking, place the piped cookies in the refrigerator for up to an hour before baking. When ready to bake, place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. It is golden in color. Let cool completely on a rack before dipping in chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments, then add the coconut oil for a glossier texture. Dip one side of the cookies in the chocolate, add sprinkles to the top of the bowl, and return the cookies to a clean baking sheet lined with new parchment paper. Place the bread in the refrigerator so that the chocolate hardens nicely and sets well. Store on the counter in a box or waxed tin. If you put paper between them, you can freeze them for up to a month.
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