As delicious as they are hideous, Italian butter cookies are rich and sweet with a distinctive buttery note, topped with a semisweet chocolate topping.
Italian Butter Cookies
What would you rate this recipe?
6/10. I bought this cookbook over a year ago at my 6th grade book fair. And, I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for a while. The picture in the book made it look so easy to get the perfect shape for these Italian butter cookies.
While in reality, it was not. I had to give up on the piping bag and use a sandwich baggy with a bigger hole, and it was EXTREMELY messy. And, they looked horrible. But, they tasted a lot better than they looked. So, don’t judge your cookies by the book photos.
How would you describe the flavors and experience of eating this dish with someone who has never tasted it before?
It was more crunchy and crumbly than I expected. I thought they would be soft and chewy, like chocolate chip cookies. You could definitely taste the butter.
What part of making this dish did you enjoy the most, and why?
I’m gonna say… none of it. Just kidding. Honestly, just finishing the piping was the best part. Because it was finished. Dad finally just started using some spoons to get it onto the parchment paper.
Did you feel like you learned anything while making it?
Sometimes, you have to just do your best. If it’s not perfect, it’s not perfect.
If we made it again, what would you want to do differently next time?
I would skip the piping bags, and instead just use the sandwich baggy from the start. Or, I would use spoons to scoop them out.
Dad’s Notes:
Oh, boy. We’re uploading this recipe because we made it. But, I cannot in good conscience tell you to do the same. Maybe we used the wrong piping bags or tips. But, that was a herculean task.
Did we do something wrong? Why was this part of the instruction such a dud? Does anyone know?
Italian Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Mix again until well incorporated.
- Gradually add the flower while mixing at low speed, and continue mixing until just blended. Add 1/4 cup cream and beat until just blended. The dough will be sticky.
- Place the dough into an industrial strength piping bag with a large star tip. With the strength of Hercules, extrude the dough into 1" wide and 2" long strips on the parchment paper.ORSave your forearms the trauma, and use a spoon to scoop and shape the cookie dough into roughly the desired shapes on the parchment paper.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes until the cookies are firm and very lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 3 minutes. Then, remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
- For the chocolate topping, heat ½ cup whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbles form around the edge.
- Remove from heat, add in the chocolate chips, and swirl to coat. Let stand 3 minutes for the chocolate chips to melt. Then, stir again until well blended. Spread chocolate on the cookies with a small knife, and add sprinkles.
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