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Authentic Bakery-Style Italian Butter Cookies: The Ultimate Melt-in-Your-Mouth Recipe

A stack of star-shaped Italian butter cookies filled and dipped in rich dark chocolate, dusted with sugar.
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Make rich, tender Italian Butter Cookies at home that taste just like the bakery. This simple recipe yields soft, buttery cookies perfect for holidays or tea time.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate (for dipping, optional)
  • 1/4 cup jam (for filling, optional)

Instructions

  1. Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
  2. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined into a soft dough. Do not overmix.
  4. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (like Wilton 1M).
  5. Pipe small swirls or desired shapes onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  6. Chill the cookies on the baking sheets for at least 30 minutes. This helps them keep their shape.
  7. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  8. Bake the chilled cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. They should remain pale in the center for a soft texture.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. If desired, dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate or sandwich two cookies together with jam. Let chocolate set before serving.

Notes

  • For the best melt-in-your-mouth texture, use room temperature butter.
  • You can substitute almond extract with more vanilla if you prefer a pure vanilla butter cookie flavor.
  • If you do not have a piping bag, you can press the dough through a cookie press or simply roll small balls and flatten them slightly with a fork.
  • These cookies freeze well before baking; place frozen dough shapes directly onto a baking sheet and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://daisyrecipe.com/italian-butter-cookies-melt-mouth-recipe/