These Italian Butter Cookies are super simple and make an impressive gift and are the best cookies for your next Christmas cookie exchange.
Italian Butter Cookies
Italian Butter CookiesI really enjoy baking! It’s just so fulfilling to spend time in the kitchen, mixing ingredients, and then enjoying my sweet success at the end.
I always try to make my desserts homemade. There is something so satisfying about knowing exactly what is in them. I like the control and being able to make any changes I want.
So when I was making Italian Jelly Filled Cookies, I knew I wanted them to be chewy. I don’t like crunch cookies very much. Instead, I enjoy how they melt in my mouth – and these do just that!
Now…what is the best thing about these cookies? Is it the sweet jelly filling? The buttery cookies? Or the incredible chocolate topping?
I can’t choose! You will have to make some for yourself so you can decide.
Shopping List for Italian Butter Cookies
Here is what you will need from the store before you make your own:
- Butter
- Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Jelly (Strawberry, Raspberry, Apricot)
- Chocolate Chips
- Sweet & Treats Sprinkles (Mixed Berry Bliss Sprinkles or Frozen Heart Sprinkles)
Tools & Supplies
- Stand Mixer
- Pipping bag
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
- Mixing Bowls
- Ateco 870 – French Star Pastry Tips Set (860-869)
- Measuring Cups
What is the best jelly to use?
When you are making Italian butter cookies, definitely use a jelly, not a jam. Jams have more bits of fruit in them and this texture throws off the filling inside the cookies.
As for what flavor – that is entirely up to you. Strawberry jelly is a really popular choice since chocolate dipped strawberries are a common dessert people love. I am a huge fan of apricot and raspberry.
Cookie Dough Piping Tips
Piping cookie dough can be difficult to learn at first. Don’t get frustrated. I prefer to use parchment paper with measuring lines to help keep my cookies even and straight.
If you mess up, put the cookie dough back in the piping bag. It is better to re-pipe them than to try and work with uneven cookies.
My go-to piping tips are these Ateco 870 – French Star Pastry Tips Set (860-869).
Sprinkle Cookies
I used sprinkles from Sweet & Treats. Their mixes are super cute! We used Mixed Berry Bliss Sprinkles or Frozen Heart Sprinkles.
How to Make Italian Butter Cookies?
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Take all the cold ingredients out of the refrigerator to let the get to room temperature.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and the vanilla extract into butter and sugar mixture into the stand mixer. This should only take a couple minutes with a stand mixer. It should be looser now that the liquids have been added.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – All purpose flour, baking powder, salt.
Incorporate the dry ingredients with the butter mixture using the stand mixer. Mix for a couple minutes and it should be much stiffer now.
Add the heavy whipping cream to the stand mixer and mix on low. Don’t over mix the dough after putting in the whipping cream. Just enough to incorporate.
Add the cookie dough from the stand mixer to a pastry bag. Use an Ateco wide tip to pipe the cookies onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes. If you are baking more than one tray of cookies at a time it will take longer than 16 minutes. Ovens may vary. Add 1-2 minutes to bake time if it seems under baked.
After taking the cookies out, let them cool on a cookie cooling rack. While they are cooling, start melting the chocolate chips.
Melt Chocolate
Chocolate chips are pretty easy to melt in the microwave. No need to double boil. Start with 45 seconds and then stir. Microwave them for 15 second increments until fully melted.
After they have cooled, take two cookies and gently spread the jelly on one side. Using a spreading knife makes putting the jelly on easier. Be careful not to put too much jelly on or it will be hard to keep the two halves stable when dipping into the chocolate.
Then, sandwich the 2 cookies together.
Dip the cookie sandwich into the melted chocolate, and then sprinkle the sprinkles on top of the chocolate on each cookie after your dip each one. Set the sandwiches on a plate to cool.
Place cookies in the fridge to get the chocolate to set.
Once the chocolate is hardened again, they are ready to eat!
Italian Butter Cookies Recipe
Here is a printable recipe card. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your food board or share it on Facebook. It is so easy you won’t believe it is homemade.
Italian Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter at Room Temperature
- 3/4 Cup Sugar Granulated
- 1/4 Cup Sugar Powdered
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour All-Purpose
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Cup Jelly
- 1 Cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 Cup Sprinkles
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take all the cold ingredients out of the refrigerator to let the get to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and the vanilla extract into butter and sugar mixture into the stand mixer. This should only take a couple minutes with a stand mixer. It should be looser now that the liquids have been added.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients - All purpose flour, baking powder, salt.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients with the butter mixture using the stand mixer. Mix for a couple minutes and it should be much stiffer now.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the stand mixer and mix on low. Don’t over mix the dough after putting in the whipping cream. Just enough to incorporate.
- Add the cookie dough from the stand mixer to a pastry bag. Use an Ateco wide tip to pipe the cookies onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes. If you are baking more than one tray of cookies at a time it will take longer than 16 minutes. Ovens may vary. Add 1-2 minutes to bake time if it seems under baked.
- After taking the cookies out, let them cool on a cookie cooling rack. While they are cooling, start melting the chocolate chips.
- Chocolate chips are pretty easy to melt in the microwave. No need to double boil. Start with 45 seconds and then stir. Microwave them for 15 second increments until fully melted.
- After they have cooled, take two cookies and gently spread the jelly on one side. Using a spreading knife makes putting the jelly on easier. Be careful not to put too much jelly on or it will be hard to keep the two halves stable when dipping into the chocolate.
- Then, sandwich them together.
- Dip the cookie sandwich into the melted chocolate, and then sprinkle the sprinkles on top of the chocolate on each cookie after your dip each one. Set the sandwiches on a plate to cool.
- Place cookies in the fridge to get the chocolate to set.
- Once the chocolate is hardened again, they are ready to eat!
Notes
- Parchment that has measuring lines on it can be helpful to keep all the piped cookies even.
- It takes some practice piping the cookie dough. Don't be afraid to pick the dough back off the parchment and put it into the bag.
More Italian Cookie Recipes
I hope you enjoyed my Italian Butter Cookies! Here are some more delightful cookie recipes you will enjoy too.
I need to work on my piping skills by making these cookies. They look so light and delicious.
Is there anything that can be substituted for heavy whipping cream?
These look so good! Do you use this dough base for any other cookies?
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
How long should they be?