Nonna’s Bakery-Style Butter Cookies

These bakery-style butter cookies are a classic treat, perfect for holidays, parties, or any occasion.

Made with buttery dough and finished with jam, chocolate, and sprinkles, these cookies evoke the charm of an Italian-American bakery.

Easy to make and incredibly versatile, they can be customized to suit your taste.

Why Nonna Suggests This Recipe

1. A Nostalgic Favorite: These cookies bring back memories of Italian bakeries with their delicate texture and decorative finish.
2. Customizable: Nonna loves how you can fill them with jam, dip them in chocolate, or add sprinkles and nuts for a personal touch.
3. Perfect for Celebrations: These cookies are as festive as they are delicious, making them ideal for parties or gift-giving.
4. Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: With pantry staples, you can create a dessert that’s both elegant and easy.
5. Make Them Your Own: Nonna suggests adding almond extract or lemon zest for an authentic bakery flavor.

Cooking Time

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cooking Time: 11–13 minutes per batch
• Total Time: ~1 hour 15 minutes
• Servings: ~24 cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

For the Finish:

• ½ cup (160 g) jam of your choice
• 1 cup sprinkles, chopped nuts, or shredded dried coconut
• 10–12 oz (285–340 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Step-by-Step Method

1. Make the Dough:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until combined. If using almond extract and lemon zest, add them now.
4. Gradually mix in the flour, stirring just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.

2. Shape the Cookies:

1. Fit a piping bag with a medium French star tip (about ½-inch wide) or use a large plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
2. Pipe the dough into ½-inch-wide, 1¾- to 2-inch-long segments onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
3. Use a knife or scissors to neatly cut the dough at the end of each piped cookie.

3. Bake the Cookies:

1. Bake in the preheated oven for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
2. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Assemble the Sandwiches:

1. Place the jam in a small plastic bag, and snip off a tiny corner when ready to use.
2. Flip half of the cookies over to form the bottom halves. Pipe a small amount of jam onto each flipped cookie.
3. Top with the remaining cookies, gently pressing to form sandwiches.

5. Dip and Decorate:

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between, until fully melted. Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Dip each cookie sandwich halfway into the chocolate, letting excess drip off.
3. Roll the dipped end in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or coconut. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.

6. Let Set and Serve:

1. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature or pop the cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes to speed up the process.
2. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts (Per Cookie)

Tips by Nonna

1. Pipe with Care: If the dough is too stiff to pipe, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
2. Choose Your Fillings: Use raspberry, apricot, or orange jam for a traditional Italian flavor.
3. Perfect Chocolate Dip: Ensure the chocolate is smooth and not too thick for easy dipping.
4. Decorate with Flair: Mix sprinkles, nuts, and coconut for a colorful variety.
5. Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for longer.

Bakery-Style Butter Cookies

These bakery-style butter cookies are a classic treat, perfect for holidays, parties, or any occasion. Made with buttery dough and finished with jam, chocolate, and sprinkles, these cookies evoke the charm of an Italian-American bakery. Easy to make and incredibly versatile, they can be customized to suit your taste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 days d 50 minutes mins

Total Time 4 days d 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Christmas Italian Recipes, Italian Cookies

Cuisine Italian

Servings 24 Cookies

Notes

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

For the Finish:

• ½ cup (160 g) jam of your choice
• 1 cup sprinkles, chopped nuts, or shredded dried coconut
• 10–12 oz (285–340 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

---

Step-by-Step Method

1. Make the Dough:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until combined. If using almond extract and lemon zest, add them now.
4. Gradually mix in the flour, stirring just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.

---

2. Shape the Cookies:

1. Fit a piping bag with a medium French star tip (about ½-inch wide) or use a large plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
2. Pipe the dough into ½-inch-wide, 1¾- to 2-inch-long segments onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
3. Use a knife or scissors to neatly cut the dough at the end of each piped cookie.

---

3. Bake the Cookies:

1. Bake in the preheated oven for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
2. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

---

4. Assemble the Sandwiches:

1. Place the jam in a small plastic bag, and snip off a tiny corner when ready to use.
2. Flip half of the cookies over to form the bottom halves. Pipe a small amount of jam onto each flipped cookie.
3. Top with the remaining cookies, gently pressing to form sandwiches.

---

5. Dip and Decorate:

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between, until fully melted. Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Dip each cookie sandwich halfway into the chocolate, letting excess drip off.
3. Roll the dipped end in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or coconut. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.

---

6. Let Set and Serve:

1. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature or pop the cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes to speed up the process.
2. Serve and enjoy!

Keyword butter cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!