Description
Delightful Italian s cookies blend traditional Southern Italian flavors with sweet nostalgia. Buttery pastries offer a perfect balance of texture and warmth that connect generations of family recipes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps (30 mL) milk (optional, for softer dough)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Heat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal cookie performance.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, ensuring uniform ingredient distribution.
- Creamy Foundation: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, developing a voluminous texture through vigorous mixing.
- Flavor Infusion: Blend eggs one at a time, then incorporate vanilla extract and lemon zest, creating a smooth, harmonious mixture.
- Dough Formation: Fold flour mixture into creamy base, creating a supple dough. Adjust consistency with a splash of milk if needed for perfect texture.
- Cookie Shaping: Roll dough into slender 4-5 inch ropes, artfully curving them into distinctive S-shapes on prepared baking sheets, maintaining ample spacing.
- Baking Transformation: Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges turn golden, carefully preserving the cookies’ tender interior and delicate structure.
- Finishing Touch: Allow cookies to cool briefly on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Chill Dough for Perfection: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before shaping to enhance texture and prevent spreading during baking.
- Precise Shaping Technique: Use consistent pressure and light touch when rolling dough ropes to ensure uniform cookie size and elegant S-curves.
- Moisture Control: Add milk sparingly if dough feels dry, using just a teaspoon at a time to maintain ideal consistency without making it too wet.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make the cookies suitable for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 117
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 36 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg