Italian Butter Cookies
Crisp buttery cookies layered with raspberry jam and dipped in chocolate. This will be everyone's favorite on the tray.
Servings: 16 sandwich cookiesss
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Piping bag
- Open star tip (such as Ateco 869)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
Decorating
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon shortening
- sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
- Prep the baking sheets. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (optional but helpful for easy cleanup) and set aside. You don’t need to grease the sheets.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed for at least 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute until smooth.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the salt and flour in a separate bowl until evenly mixed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed and adding 1 cup at a time until combined. The dough should be soft and smooth.
- Adjust the dough consistency with milk. Add 1 tablespoon of milk to make the dough soft and pipeable. If the dough still seems too stiff to pipe easily, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough reaches a very soft, pipeable consistency that can hold its shape.
- Pipe the cookies. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as Ateco 869). Then, pipe 2-inch strips onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each strip. You should be able to fit 12-15 cookies on each sheet. Next, cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and chill the piped cookies for 1 hour to help them hold their shape during baking.
- Bake and cool the cookies. Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes until the edges and bottoms are golden for a crisp texture. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and decorating. Do not underbake; you want golden brown bottoms and edges.
- Fill and assemble the cookies. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a thin layer (about ¼ teaspoon) of raspberry jam on the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to form sandwiches, pressing gently to spread the jam evenly without it oozing out.
- Dip in chocolate and decorate. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth and fully melted. Dip one end of each cookie sandwich into the melted chocolate and lay them on parchment paper. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with your choice of sprinkles for a festive touch. Allow the cookies to cool on the parchment until the chocolate hardens completely.
Notes
Using softened butter is important for getting the right texture. Let it sit out at room temperature for about 60 minutes. The dough can become too runny and hard to pipe if it’s too soft or melted. But if it's too hard, you'll end up adding too much milk to get it pipeable. Be patient and let it soften!
Beat the butter and sugar together until they’re light and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, but it’s a crucial step.
Since chocolate is a crucial flavor, choose a good-quality chocolate that melts nicely. Adding a little shortening makes the chocolate easier to dip and gives it a nice shine.
Use less jam than you need—just enough to hold the cookies together without leaking out.
If you’re new to piping, practice a few shapes on a piece of parchment before piping on the baking sheet. This will help you get used to the pressure and consistency for even shapes.
Make sure the cookies are completely cool before adding the jam or dipping in chocolate.
If you want to add sprinkles to the chocolate-dipped edges, do it right after dipping each cookie. The chocolate hardens quickly, so the sprinkles need to stick while it’s still wet.