Italian Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate have always been a staple in my family especially around the holidays. This is a traditional Italian Butter Cookie recipe.
These Italian Butter Cookies dipped in Chocolate are not just a treat for the taste buds; they are an exquisite celebration of textures and flavors that turn a regular shortbread cookie into something extraordinary.
Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies make the perfect cookie for your Christmas cookie tray. And if you are looking for something that can be ready in a jiff, try my lemon cookies made from box cake mix - seriously delicious.
Jump to:
- Here's Why You'll Love these Cookies
- Ingredients You'll Need to Make Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate
- How to Make Italian Butter Cookies dipped in Chocolate
- Meal Prep Tips
- Substitutions in Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
- Variations of Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
- Equipment
- Storing your Cookies
- Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Related
- Recipe Details
- Storage Instructions
- PIN it for later here
- Food Safety
- Comments
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.
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Here's Why You'll Love these Cookies
Here are just a few reasons to make these Italian Butter Cookies whether you dip them in chocolate or not!
- Rich and Buttery Flavor creates a luxurious flavor profile which pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the chocolate.
- Flavor Versatility of chocolate flavors and sprinkles allows you to create several variations using the same shortbread cookie base.
- Versatile for Occasions means that these Italian shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate can be adapted to fit various occasions, and their indulgent nature makes them a crowd-pleaser.
- Presentation of a homemade chocolate dipped cookie looks like a gourmet treat with a professional touch.
Ingredients You'll Need to Make Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate
You will need the following ingredients to make these chocolate dipped butter cookies: butter, confectioner's sugar, eggs, all purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt baking powder, sprinkles and other toppings.
Melted Chocolate is not necessary, but is the glue which you would use to dip into the various toppings.
Sprinkles, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and crushed candy cane are the toppings that will make your shortbread cookie unique.
Vanilla extract ads a pinch of flavor to your cookies.
Eggs and egg yolk add a unique richness to your cookie, hold it together and also help it rise just a bit.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Italian Butter Cookies dipped in Chocolate
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.
Roll out on a floured surface and cutout your shapes, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden but not brown. Cool completely.
Before you start decorating your cookies - get organized! Have your assembly line ready before you start dipping.
Have your melted chocolate ready on the side as well.
After you decorate the cookies, lay them flat on a cookie sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours.
Pictured above, round shaped cookies dipped in chocolate and various sprinkles.
Meal Prep Tips
Piping cookies in to fancy swirls - 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.
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.
Substitutions in Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Here are just a few ways to add variation to this recipe:
- Orange and Cranberry Cookie - include orange zest and cranberries to make a zesty but tangy butter cookie.
- Almond and White Chocolate Dipped Cookie - Incorporate finely ground almonds into the shortbread dough for a nutty twist with a delicately dipped white chocolate butter cookie
- Lavender and Milk Chocolate Dipped Cookie: add dried culinary lavender into the shortbread dough for a subtle floral aroma. Dip in milk chocolate for the piece de resistance.
If you can think of any other way to make this seafood risotto dish unique, go for it!
Variations of Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Here are just a few ways to add variation to this recipe:
- Swirl Cookies: pip out cookies with a star attachment to make butter swirl bookies.
- Finger cookies - instead of rolling out the dough, take a spoonful and make cookies in the shape of a finger. Dip in chocolate and sprinkles after cooled down.
- Plain - eat them plain without dipping. Sometimes, less is better!
I'd love to hear your spin on these Italian Butter Cookies!
Equipment
Equipment plays a large role when baking. Non stick baking sheets, parchment paper or silicone baking sheets come in hand when baking any cookies. Not only does this equipment make for easy cleanup, but it makes an impact on the appearance of the final product by avoiding cookies getting stuck to baking pans.
A good food processor and measuring spoons and a cup also come in handy if you don't have these already.
Storing your Cookies
You can store these cookies in an airtight container for at least a month.
To freeze them place them gently in a Ziploc bag. Freeze them ensuring that they are not in contact with other items in your freezer. This will avoid them being crushed during the storing process.
When it's time to thaw them out, take them from freezer to fridge. And Once completely thawed out to room temperature in an airtight container.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Butter cookies usually contain butter, sugar, flour, and sometimes eggs, resulting in a lighter and tender texture. Shortbread cookies, with a simpler composition of butter, sugar, and flour. Shortbread is usual denser and crumbly but doesn't normally contain egg.
Butter cookies are rich and sweet and are dense. They hold their shape better than shortbread cookies.
Yes. Butter cookies and sugar cookies usually contain egg. Shortbread cookies normally do not have egg as an ingredient.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Butter Cookies dipped in Chocolate
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 1 cups butter salted or unsalted
- ½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cups icing sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ cups milk chocolate wafers melted, for dipping
- ½ cups 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.
- Roll out the dough to about ¼ of an inch and using a cookie cutter cut out your cookies and place them carefully on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 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.
- Once cooled dip in chocolate and chopped nuts or various sprinkles. Let set for an hour or until the chocolate firms up. Place in an airtight container.
Notes
Storage Instructions
You can store these cookies in an airtight container for at least a month. To freeze them place them gently in a Ziploc bag. Freeze them ensuring that they are not in contact with other items in your freezer. This will avoid them being crushed during the storing process. When it's time to thaw them out, take them from freezer to fridge. And Once completely thawed out to room temperature in an airtight container.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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!