Description
Pizzicati cookies from Italy blend delicate almond flour with rich butter and powdered sugar. Delightful pinched edges and dusted surfaces make these treats a sweet Italian tradition that melts smoothly in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 23 tablespoons (30–45 ml) milk
- ½ cup (120g) fruit jam or preserves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until light and airy, then seamlessly blend egg yolks and vanilla extract into a silky, homogeneous mixture.
- Dough Formation: Delicately incorporate flour and salt, transforming the mixture into a crumbly consistency that gradually evolves into a pliable dough. If the texture appears too dry, introduce milk sparingly, kneading until the dough reaches a supple, manageable state.
- Chilling: Shape the dough into a compact disk, fully envelop in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to intensify flavors and solidify the texture.
- Preheating: Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal heat circulation.
- Shaping: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a gossamer 1/8-inch thickness. Precision-cut 2.5-inch circles, then center a modest jam dollop on each piece.
- Pinching: Tenderly fold two opposing sides of each circle, creating the characteristic pizzicati silhouette that embraces the fruity core. Position cookies on prepared sheets with ample spacing to prevent merging.
- Baking: Bake for 12-15 minutes, monitoring for delicate golden edges that indicate perfect doneness. Allow cookies to stabilize on the baking sheet briefly before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling and texture refinement.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate the dough for exactly 30 minutes to prevent spreading and maintain the cookie’s delicate shape during baking.
- Master the Pinch Technique: Pinch cookie edges firmly but gently, ensuring a tight seal that prevents jam from leaking while creating the classic pizzicati silhouette.
- Control Jam Quantity: Use a small teaspoon of jam to avoid overfilling, which can cause splitting or messy baking results.
- Temperature Matters: Ensure butter is at room temperature for smooth creaming, and use precise oven temperature to achieve golden edges without burning.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 36mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 37mg