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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Italian S Cookies - Biscotti A Esse

    Updated: Sep 8, 2022 · Published: Jun 4, 2022 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    Italian S cookies are super popular breakfast cookies. Learn how to make these traditional Sicilian cookies at home with basic ingredients.

    Growing up in Sicily, I remember making these Italian S cookies with my nonna during the weekend or around the holidays.

    And today I'm sharing exactly my nonna's Italian S cookie recipe (one of the very few she has written down with measurements!).

    I promise these breakfast cookies are incredibly easy to make, you can actually ask your kids to help you out, my 4-year-old loves making them with me!

    italian s cookies.
    Jump to:
    • WHAT ARE ITALIAN S COOKIES?
    • INGREDIENTS
    • HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN S COOKIES
    • HOW TO STORE
    • CAN I MAKE THEM AHEAD?
    • Recipe

    WHAT ARE ITALIAN S COOKIES?

    Together with amaretti cookies and Italian butter cookies, these are one of the most popular cookies in Italy.

    The S cookies are called "biscotti esse" in Italian, but they also go by the name of biscotti squisiti (which literally means "delicious cookies"!).

    These Sicilian S-shaped cookies originate from Ragusa, one of the most fascinating towns in Sicily.

    Traditionally they were made through a grinder with a cookie attachment, to give them a nice wavy texture.

    But these days they're made simply by rolling the dough into thin ropes arranged in a classic S-shape.

    They have a delicious lemon aroma and a lovely crumbly texture.

    In Sicily, we usually serve them for breakfast with milk or tea, or as an afternoon snack.

    sicilian s cookies, biscotti a esse.

    INGREDIENTS

    You won't believe how easy these cookies are!

    The Italian S cookie dough is made with the most simple ingredients, in typical Italian fashion.

    You'll need just 6 ingredients:

    • Butter: Use softened butter cut into chunks, it makes it easier to mix it with the flour.
    • Flour: I use regular all-plain flour or Italian 00 flour.
    • Eggs: go for large-sized eggs.
    • Lemon: Lemon zest adds a beautiful citrusy note to the cookies, you can swap it with orange zest if you like. Opt for unwaxed organic lemons if possible.
    • Sugar: you can use regular caster sugar for this recipe.
    • Baking powder: a little baking powder gives the cookies a nice slightly softer texture.
    • Milk: This is optional, but depending on the flour brand you use, or the size of the eggs, if the cookie dough is a bit too tough, I usually add 1 tablespoon of milk to soften it a bit.

    HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN S COOKIES

    This is a quick overview of how to make Sicilian S cookies with step-step pictures.

    For the full recipe, scroll down to the easy-to-print recipe card.

    STEP 1 - Mix butter with flour.

    In a large bowl mix the softened butter and flour.

    STEP 2 - Mix in the remaining ingredients.

    Add in the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and finally the baking powder.

    STEP 3 - Rest the dough.

    Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth dough, and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

    STEP 4 - Form the cookies.

    Place the dough on a work surface, and divide it into small balls.

    Roll each ball to form a 7cm/2.5-inch rope, model it into an S shape with your hands, and arrange it on a baking tray.

    Bake for 10 minutes, then cool and serve.

    italian s-shaped cookies.

    HOW TO STORE

    Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar. Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

    CAN I MAKE THEM AHEAD?

    Yes, you can! You can form your S cookies the night before, refrigerate them overnight then bake them in the morning.

    You can also freeze them before they are baked.

    Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to one month.

    To bake them after freezing, let them thaw for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, then bake them.

    You can also freeze them after baking them.

    Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to two months.

    sicilian s biscotti.

    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

    Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!

    Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!

    Recipe

    italian s cookies.
    Print SaveSaved!
    4.87 from 15 votes

    Italian S Cookies - Biscotti A Esse

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Italian S cookies are super popular breakfast cookies. Learn how to make these traditional Sicilian cookies at home with basic ingredients.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time12 minutes mins
    Total Time22 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Serving: 40
    Calories: 91kcal
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 125 g butter, softened
    • 500 g all purpose flour
    • 200 g sugar
    • 2 eggs, large
    • zest of one lemon
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon milk, optional

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl mix the softened butter and flour until you have a crumbly and sandy mixture.
    • Add in the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and finally the baking powder. Add an optional tablespoon of milk if you feel the dough is a bit hard and rough.
    • Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth dough, and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Arrange the oven tray onto the middle shelf, and line a cookie baking tray with parchment paper.
    • Place the dough on a work surface, and divide it into small balls.
    • Roll each ball to form a 7cm/2.5-inch rope, model it into an S shape with your hands, and arrange it on the lined baking tray.
    • Bake the S cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove the tray from the oven allow the cookies to cool slightly, transfer them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely, then serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • Depending on the flour brand you use, or the size of the eggs, if you feel the cookie dough is a bit too tough, add 1 tablespoon of milk to soften it a bit.
    • To give them a shiny surface, you can brush the cookies with a beaten egg white right before baking them.
    • Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack, this will help to set the cookies, and results in a crunchy outside and a soft and chewy inside.
    STORAGE TIPS
    Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar. Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
    FREEZING TIPS
    How to freeze unbaked cookies:
    Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to one month.
    To bake them after freezing, let them thaw for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, then bake them.
    How to freeze baked cookies:
    Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to two months.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    MORE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN DESSERTS TO TRY

    If you liked this recipe, check out more favorite Italian desserts recipes here:

    • Crostata - Italian Jam Tart
    • Lemon Ricotta Cake
    • Chocolate Semifreddo
    • Zeppole di San Giuseppe (St Joseph's Zeppole)
    • Classic Tiramisu Without Eggs - Authentic Italian Recipe
    • Water Cake: A Dairy-free, Egg-free, Magic Cake
    • Sweet Shortcrust Pastry - Italian Pasta Frolla
    • Ricotta Cheesecake - Just 3 Ingredients

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    Comments

    1. Stefana Cable, Valenti says

      February 10, 2025 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      I have being making them for years. My grandkids and kids love love them . it is their ultimate favorite cookie and i frost them with lemon and powdered sugar. Mix juice lemon with the powder sugar and they come out so good and dunk the front of the cookie. I don’t use better, I use melted Crisco one cup, and I also put 4 teaspoons of vanilla in 4 lemons zest.

      Reply
    2. Carol Lemieux says

      October 01, 2023 at 4:15 am

      We made these cookies when I was a kid. My mother used the grinder with a special star tip that my father made. We made a ton of them. One of us cranked while the other one cut. It was a lot of work, but everyone loved them. It was one of our main cookies at Christmas. I lost her recipe, so I will soon try yours. My mother was half Sicilian and half Napleton.

      Reply
    3. Diane Iribarren says

      August 02, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      I tried this recipe yesterday, the mix was to dry. Added 2 more eggs & 2 Tbs. Of milk, to get it right. Can you please check the ingredients. Thanks. Diane

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        August 03, 2022 at 7:37 am

        Hi Diane, I've been making this recipe for a long time and the amounts should be correct. Did you follow the gram or US measurements? What flour did you use? Did you use large eggs? Apologies for the many questions, just trying to understand what went wrong 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Dobson says

      June 04, 2022 at 11:00 pm

      Love S cookies . Can’t wait to try this recipe .
      Can you provide the recipe of the piped S cookies that are in the photo as well ? TIA

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        June 05, 2022 at 11:02 am

        Hi Jaqueline can't wait to hear how you liked them! The recipe to make the piped cookies is the same, I simply added the optional 1 tablespoon of milk. However, I don't recommend piping the cookies, it's very hard! You'll need a good piping bag (not the disposable ones), and you need to press very hard. I do however recommend the traditional method mentioned in the post, and use the cookie cutter attachment for a mincer (there's a link in the post for the cookie attachment, it should work also with the Kitchen Aid mincer attchment).

        Reply
    4.87 from 15 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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    About Andrea

    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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