Italian Cookie Recipes: Crown Jewels in Italian Confections (2024)

Different types of Italian cookie recipes have been passeddown through the centuries as part of the country’s culinary tradition.

Called the “crown jewels of Italian confections,” cookies arean important part of Italian celebrations. Italian weddings often feature adessert table with large trays of assorted cookies, sometimes specially arrangedas a wedding “cake.” The bride and groom lead their guests around the receptionarea to the cookie table in a “cookie dance,” similar to a line dance. Guestseat cookies and even take them home as favors or gifts for those who could notattend the wedding.

Special types of Italian cookie recipes are prepared fortraditional Italian Christmas and Easter gatherings, as well as on feast dayslike Carnevale, the feast of San Giovanni, and the feast of San Guiseppe.

Italiancookie recipes originate from different parts of Italy. While many Italian cookiesare almond-flavored (almonds are a significant crop in Italy), localcookie recipes are often flavored with the fruits and nuts indigenous to theirarea.

Ofthe dozens of types of Italian cookies that are regionally popular, thefollowing are among the most well-known across the world.

Amaretti

Amaretti (am-ah-REHT-tee)cookies are almond-flavored macaroons – small, dome-shaped cookies which arecrisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Francesco Moriondo, seventeenth-centuryCourt of Savoy pastry chef, is credited with first making the cookies. Amarettiare most often eaten three ways: on their own, sandwiched together withbutter-cream, ganache or fruit jam, or crushed and added to other dessertrecipes like trifle, crust, pie fillings, cream fillings, or sprinkled on icecream to add flavor and texture.

Anginetti

The classic anginetti (ahn-jih-NAY-tee)recipe is from southern Italy. Anginetti are smallcakes, often lemon- or orange-flavored, why is why they are also called“Italian Lemon Drop Cookies.” They are frosted with butter cream and toppedwith colorful decorations making them a favorite at Easter, in the spring, andat wedding.

Biscotti

Biscotti (bih-SKAWT-tee), meaning “twiced-baked” in Italian (“bis” meaning “twice”and “cotto” derived from “cooked”), have become the most popularized Italiancookie recipe beyond the country’s borders. Dough is formed into loaves, bakeduntil golden brown, sliced, and then baked again. Traditionally made with almonds so are readilyavailable in Italy,biscotti are also flavored with chocolate, hazelnuts, spices, and dried fruits.Their dry texture makes them a favorite for dipping in coffee, espresso, tea, milk,or wine.

Cavallucci

These rustic biscuits are a traditional Christmas pastry, flavored with anise, honey, walnuts, and candied fruit. Cavallucci (kah-vah-LOO-chee) were originally imprinted with the image of a horse, thus identified with the Italian term cavalli meaning “little horses.”

Pignoli

Pignoli (pronounced peen-OH-lee),a type of macaroon, is an almond-flavored cookie often classified as a type ofamaretti. Moist and rich, pignoli typically contain no flour, but rather almondpaste and egg whites topped with pine nuts (pignoliin Italian) – hence their name. The cookies are sometimes shaped in crescentsor rounds. Pignoli hail from Sicily.They are popular throughout southern Italy,Catalonia (Spain),and even Sicilian communities in the United States. Because pignoli aremade with almond paste and pine nuts – expensive ingredients – the cookies areconsidered to be a special luxury. Traditionally they are served at Christmasand at All Saints Day.

Pizzelle

Pizzelle (prounced pit-SELL) aretraditional Italian waffle cookies. The dough, more like a batter, is poured orpressed into a pizzelle iron, which is similar to a waffle iron. When goldenbrown, the cookies are removed from the iron and sprinkled with powdered sugar.Traditional pizzelle are flavored with anise, although some variations replacethe flavoring with vanilla or lemon zest.Pizzelle originated in the south-central Abruzzo region. The name comesfrom the Italian word for "round" and "flat" (pizze),also the root word for pizza.

Tri-Color (Rainbow) Cookies

Said to have been created by Italians living overseas to celebrate theirheritage, Rainbow Cookies are made in three colored layers (red, green, andwhite) representing the tri-colored Italian flag), then sliced and baked.

More about easy Italian cookie recipes

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Pignoli (Pine Nut Cookies): traditional Italian cookie recipe ...

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