Italian Butter Cookies
These easy Italian Butter Cookies are just like the kind we buy in Italy from the local bakery shop, but better! This cookie recipe requires 7 basic ingredients and takes 1 hour to make. You can't beat this soft, melt-in-your-mouth treat!
Servings: 24 cookies
Equipment
- Cookie press if you're not using the piping bag and tip
Ingredients
For the Butter Cookies
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted European butter softened, not melted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
Optional Fillings & Decorations
- ½ cup raspberry or strawberry jam if making sandwich cookies
- 4 ounces chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate melted, for dipping
- rainbow sprinkles optional
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie trays with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Do not overmix the sugar and butter, or the cookies will flatten.
- Add the eggs on low speed, one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla extract, then mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour to the mixture and mix until a dough forms. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until a semi-soft, sticky dough is formed.
- Transfer the dough to a heavy-duty piping bag with a large open star tip. I like to put my pastry bag with the tip in a tall glass and fold the open bag on the outside of the cup to hold the bag steady as I fill it with the dough.
- For sandwich cookies, pipe the dough into 2-inch strips, leaving 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges to make a clean edge.
- For circle cookies, hold the piping bag vertically and squeeze until your circle shape is about 1 inch in diameter. (For circle cookies with sprinkles, decorate with sprinkles before baking. You can also create a small hole with you index finger if you want to fill the cookies with chocolate or jam.)
- Refrigerate the piped cookie dough for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on the edges. Do not overbake.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or assemble as desired.
Assemble & Decorate (Optional)
- For sandwich cookies, spread a little less than ¼ teaspoon of jam, Nutella, or other desired filling onto one side of the cookie. Sandwich together with another cookie.
- For dipped cookies, melt the chocolate. Microwave it in a small, microwave-safe bowl in 15 second intervals (stirring well in between each segment) until melted and smooth. If you want to make it glossy, add a dab of butter and stir until combined.
- Dip one end of the sandwich cookie in melted chocolate and lay on a rack. Add sprinkles and allow the chocolate to set at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use softened butter. The butter should be soft enough to cream smoothly but not melted.
- Don't skip chilling. Chilling the piped dough helps the cookies hold their shape as they bake.
- Watch the edges. Remove the cookies when the edges are lightly golden so they stay tender rather than becoming dry.
- Use a large piping tip. A larger star tip makes it easier to pipe the soft dough and creates the classic bakery-style ridges.
Nutrition
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
