**Italian Butterball Cookies: A Taste of Italy's Christmas Traditions**
During the festive season, the aroma of freshly baked cookies wafts through Italian households, filling the air with warmth and cheer. Among these delectable treats, Italian butterball cookies, also known as "ciambellone," stand out with their distinctive snowball-like appearance and melt-in-your-mouth texture. These cookies, with their simple yet elegant presentation, are a staple of Italian Christmas traditions and hold a special place in the hearts of many. Join us on a culinary journey as we explore two irresistible variations of Italian butterball cookies: the classic recipe and a tantalizing chocolate-dipped version. Embark on this delectable adventure and let the flavors of Italy dance on your palate.
ITALIAN BUTTERBALL COOKIES
These holiday cookies are perfect for people of any age. They are good as a quick snack or dessert. Don't worry, they are not balls of butter. They are smooth, chewy, and delicious cookies. This is an old family recipe that is loved by all. Hopefully you like them too!
Provided by iluvlax
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 55m
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
- Beat together the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Spread the 1/4 cup confectioners sugar on a plate; roll the cooled cookies in the confectioners' sugar to coat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 43.3 calories, Carbohydrate 5.6 g, Cholesterol 9 mg, Fat 2.1 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 0.6 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 35.5 mg, Sugar 2.6 g
ITALIAN BAKERY COOKIES
These were some of my favorite cookies growing up - there were a bunch of amazing Italian bakeries outside of Chicago and I was always drawn to these cookies because of the sprinkles. But what really gets me is that soft layer of jam in the middle that makes the cookies a little bit chewy (and that splash of almond is irresistible as well).
Provided by Molly Yeh
Categories dessert
Time 2h
Yield 1 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place oven racks in the top and bottom third positions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until light and smooth, 1 minute more. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 2-inch lines, spaced 1-inch apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies per tray). Bake in the oven until the cookies are set on top and golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on the sheet trays. Once the cookies are set, transfer all onto one tray, leaving 1 cooled tray to bake the remaining dough (you'll have enough for about 12 more cookies).
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50-percent power in 15 second increments. Pipe or spread the flat sides of half of the cookies with about 1 teaspoon jam each, going almost to the edges. Sandwich with the remaining cookies (you should have about 18 sandwiches). Allow the jam to set for 2 hours or overnight, if you have time. Otherwise, it's okay to go ahead and start dipping your sandwich cookies into the chocolate (it just might be a little slippery.).
- Dip the lower third of the cookies in the chocolate letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle with the sprinkles on both sides. Lay back on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate set.
- Tip: To make uniformly sized cookies, use a ruler and a marker or pen to draw 2-inch lines on 2 sheets of parchment paper in a 3-by-4-inch grid. Flip the parchment over and place on 2 baking sheets so the marker side is down but you can still see the lines. Using the lines as a template, pipe the dough in 2-inch lines on the baking sheets, using a paring knife or shears, if needed, to cut the dough from the piping bag in straight edges.
ITALIAN BUTTER BALL COOKIES
This has been my Mother's reipe for years. She always baked these during Christmas and When I was little I always rolled them in the sugar. It's a very easy recipe I hope you enjoy them. You can use pecans if you like them better than walnuts.
Provided by marilyn amico
Categories Cookies
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- 1. Preheat 350 degrees. Mix all ingrdients together.Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake 12-15 mins. Bottoms of cookies should be a light brown not dark.While warm roll cookies in a bowl of confectioner sugar twice. Cool on rack. Enjoy!!!!!
Tips:
- Use softened butter: This will make the dough easier to mix and will prevent the cookies from being too dry.
- Chill the dough before baking: This will help the cookies to hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set: Overbaking will make them dry and crumbly.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them: This will help them to keep their shape and prevent them from becoming soft.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature: They will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Italian Butterball Cookies are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. These cookies are buttery, nutty, and have a delicate vanilla flavor. They are also very versatile and can be decorated with a variety of toppings, such as sprinkles, nuts, or chocolate chips.
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