Butter Cookies Recipe
If you’ve ever been to an authentic Italian-American bakery, you can’t miss the glass cases filled with every color and shape variation of Italian Butter Cookies. Whether dipped in chocolate, sandwiched with jam, or pressed with candied cherries, these cookies were a staple of my childhood holiday gatherings.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer or electric hand mixer optional but makes this recipe quicker and easier
- measuring cups and spoons (or scales)
- Wooden spoon and/or rubber spatula
- 1 Disposable piping bag
- 1 Wilton or Loyal 6B open star piping tip
- 1 Cookie press if not using piping bag
- Assorted bowls and dishes as required
- 2-3 Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks/8oz/226 grams) unsalted butter See Note 1
- ⅔ cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks at cool room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 2¼ cups (280 grams) all purpose flour See Note 2
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch fine salt
- gel food coloring for coloring dough if desired
- Decorating Cookie Options (quantities will vary depending on how you decorate)
- candied cherries
- powdered sugar
- chocolate and chocolate chips
- colored sprinkles
- chopped nuts
- desiccated or shredded coconut
- Nutella or raspberry jam to fill cookie sandwiches
Instructions
Italian Butter Cookie Dough
Even if you are an experienced baker, please read the Notes and Tips for Success in the section below, plus the full instructions for best results. Measure the flour correctly as specified or better still, use scales to weigh the ingredients. This recipe works perfectly if the ingredients are measured correctly.
Begin with room temperature ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C and line two or three baking sheets with non stick parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, hand mixer or even by hand thoroughly mix the butter and sugar.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract (if using). Beat well.
Reserve ½ cup of flour. Sift or whisk the remaining flour, baking powder and salt to combine.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. The dough should be smooth and thoroughly combined. Add as much reserved flour as needed to form a firm but sticky dough that doesn't form a ball. Take care not to over-mix.
If the dough is coming away from the sides and forming a ball, add a few teaspoons of milk to correct it.
To have some colored cookie dough, remove a portion of the cookie dough to a separate bowl then stir in a few drops of gel food color until you achieve a color you like.
If using a cookie press, you may need to chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Spoon ⅓ of the dough into an extra large, heavy-duty piping bag fitted with a large (I use Wilton or Loyal 6B) open star tip. If using a cookie press, spoon the dough into the cookie press fitted with the desired cookie plate. (check manufacturer instructions).
Pipe or press out cookies onto the lined baking sheet. You can pipe the dough into an "S" shape or a straight line. Holding the piping tip close to the baking sheet is the trick to getting good shapes. To form a star, hold the piping tip perpendicular and close to the baking sheet, and squeeze out the dough to create a star shape about an inch wide.
Repeat with ⅓ of the dough two more times.
Before baking, you can press a chocolate chip or halved candied cherry into the middle of circular cookies.
Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes. The cookies should be a pale golden color. If you've made larger cookies, they may take 12-15 minutes until pale golden. If you prefer darker, crispier cookies, bake until golden brown all over.
Cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
In humid and wet weather, these cookies can absorb moisture and become soft, so store them in an airtight container in a cool place as soon as possible.
Decorating Cookies
Cool the cookies completely before decorating.
Sugar dusting – The simplest and very effective decoration is a dusting of powdered sugar. Just spoon a little powdered sugar into a small sieve and dust over each cookie.
Chocolate dipped – Melt chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring regularly until completely melted. Dip cookies in the chocolate then set on non stick parchment paper until set. Before the chocolate has set, you can scatter on colored sprinkles or chopped nuts or dessicated or shredded coconut
Cookie sandwiches – Spread a little Nutella or raspberry jam on the bottom of a cookie then press a similar sized cookie onto the filling to sandwich the cookies together. These cookie sandwiches can also be dipped as above.
Notes
Butter should be slightly softened to combine easily and quickly with the sugar. It should NOT be melted.
Be sure to measure correctly. Stir the flour to loosen before spooning into measuring cups.
Don’t overbeat the butter and sugar. This isn’t a cake. Extra air beaten into the dough will cause the cookies to flatten.
It’s correct that the dough will be firm to push out of the piping bag. If impossible, mix a teaspoon or two of milk to the dough. Don’t overfill the piping bag.
Tips for Success
Have ingredients at room temperature.
Scrape down the sides regularly when beating and mixing the dough.
This mixture does not need to be chilled if using a piping bag and an open star tip. Please chill if using a cookie press.
If you find the mixture is too moist, add a small spoonful of flour.
Alternatively, if too dry, add a teaspoon or two of milk
When using a cookie press, sometimes the mixture gets stuck. Use a small knife or your fingers to release the cookies and place them on the baking sheet.
Turn the baking sheets in the oven for even baking.
Cool completely before decorating.
