This is a traditional Italian Butter Cookie recipe. The difference between shortbread cookies and this recipe is that Italian Butter cookies are made adding eggs, which somehow makes them richer as opposed to regular shortbread cookies that are made with butter, sugar and flour alone and not eggs.
Try this recipe for Italian Butter Cookies and you will see how different they taste than a traditional Butter Cookie. You’ll see. The truth is in the taste.
These cookies can be decorated however you like. I have dipped them in milk chocolate, white chocolate, and various sprinkle toppings for a fun or fancy finish. They can also be piped out like the traditional Butter cookies and then dipped in chocolate for a more decadent cookie
Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies – Seriously Delicious. These cookies make a great addition to your Christmas cookie collection. In fact, this would be a great activity to do with your kids, if you decide to decorate the cookies.
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Tips and Tricks to Making the Best Italian Butter Cookies
To Pipe or Not to Pipe Butter Cookies
If you do decide to pipe these cookies out of a piping bag, make sure that you add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to the dough. Adding milk to the dough will thin it out enough so that you will be able to pipe the dough out of a piping bag more easily. Word of warning that if you do pipe these out of a piping bag, you will need some muscle!
Piping out the cookies allows you to make fancy designs using one of the star attachments. One technique is to pipe in a straight line allowing about ½ inch of the dough to overlap itself essentially creating an arch made of dough on one end.
Refrigerating the Dough
If you are rolling out the dough, you will want to refrigerate it before you roll it out. Let, it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Roll it out and use a cookie cutter, glass or other creative tool to cut out your cookies. Then place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
If you find that it's taking you a long time to cut out all of your cookies and the dough is getting warm or has been sitting at room temperature for a while, place the cookies on baking sheets in the refrigerator. That's right, put the whole things in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool. Then take them out of the refrigerator and place them in the oven to bake.
I've made butter cookies on several occasions. I've ruined a few batches because they were sitting at room temperature for too long before I placed them in the over too bake. That's because if the cookies are at room temperature and placed in the oven they will literally melt and loose their shape before they are cooked. Placing cool cookies in the oven allows the outer shell to cook first and hold it's shape while the center cooks through.
Same goes for the cookies if you decide to pipe them. If they have been sitting out at room temperature for a while, place the piped cookies on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before you bake them so that they retain their shape.
Decorating your Butter Cookies
Before you start decorating your cookies - get organized! Have your assembly line ready before you start dipping. Let your cookies cool down completely before you proceed to dip them in chocolate!
Pictured below is melted milk chocolate, colored sprinkles, shredded coconut and chopped pistachios. You can add any sprinkle combination, even chopped candy cane if you like the combination of chocolate cookies and mint.
After you decorate the cookies, lay them flat on a cookie sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours.
Storing your Cookies
You can store these cookies in an airtight container for at least a month. I have never frozen these cookies before, so I don't know whether they freeze well or not.
However, if you do decide to freeze them, I suggest that you place them in a Ziploc bag laying flat. Freeze them ensuring that they remain flat and not stacked one on top of another. Then when it's time to thaw them out, take them from freezer to fridge. Again keeping them flat, and then from fridge to room temperature in an airtight container.
Looking for other cookie recipes for the holidays? Check out my Christmas Cookies Collection 2019.
or
Visit my friend Marita at My Dinner - The World in My Kitchen to get a German version of her Basic Recipe for German Butter Cookies.
Recipe Details
Amazing Italian Butter Cookies
This is a traditional Italian Butter Cookie recipe. The difference between shortbread cookies and this recipe is that Italian Butter cookies are made adding eggs, which somehow makes them richer as opposed to regular shortbread cookies that are made with butter, sugar and flour alone and not eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 cups butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ cups melted chocolate (for dipping)
- ½ cups assorted sprinkles (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Add butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat ingredients until smooth. About 3 minutes.
- In another mixing bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder together. Combine well using a whisk. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture a little at a time alternating with the eggs. Continue to alternate between the flour mixture and eggs . Finish mixing until the mixture resembles a dough. If needed you can remove from stand mixer and finish combining ingredients manually on the counter.
- (See Note below for piping instructions) Scoop dough and place in a piping bag fitted with a large star attachment. Now, I need to really warn you here, because you will need a lot of muscle to pipe out these cookies – seriously! Once you do pipe out the cookies, just tuck one end underneath and place on baking sheet so that they cook the way they are piped.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden but not brown. Cool completely. Once cooled dip in chocolate and chopped nuts (if you like) and let set for another hour. Place in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing these cookies because thawing them out will be to unpredictable if they are chocolate dipped.
Note:
If you decide not to pipe out the cookies, instead you can roll out the dough, which is what I did. Cool the dough for about an hour in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch and cutout the dough using a cookie cutter. I used a teddy bear cookie cutter and dipped the heads!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
72Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Nutrition data is calculated automatically by Nutritionix and isn't always accurate. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health.
Terri says
Thanks for explaining the difference between the regular shortbread and Italian shortbread - I had no idea! These are divine...
AmyG says
Thank you Terri! I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Nancy says
these cookies melt in your mouth! I've made them a few times now! So tasty!! thanks for the great recipe
AmyG says
Hi Nancy,
I'm glad you liked them!
Colleen says
These cookies are melt in your mouth delicious! I will be making them again. Thank you for the great recipe!
AmyG says
Hi Colleen,
I'm so happy you like them!