Italian Chocolate Cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Resting time:: 1

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Andrea Soranidis

Classic Italian Chocolate cookies - Make 12 and more different cookies with just one dough - Perfect for your Christmas cookie tray!

Print Recipe

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

200 g butter cold, cut into small chunks
300 g all purpose flour
130 g powdered sugar
30 g cocoa powder
2 medium or large yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or a scraped vanilla bean
a pinch of salt optional
1 teaspoon lemon zest optional

TO DECORATE:

apricot jam
80 g dark chocolate
80 g white chocolate
crumbled pistachios
coconut flakes
whole or chopped nuts
chocolate spread
cherry jam

Instructions

Sift the flour and place it together with the butter in a food processor and pulse until sandy (about 10 seconds). Add egg yolks, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, lemon and zest, and mix on high speed until the mixture comes together, about 2 minutes. Do not overmix.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few seconds until it's compact and elastic. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes -1 hour.
Lightly flour a working surface and the rolling pin. Roll the dough about ¼ inch thick (5mm). Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place the cookies on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F or with the fan option on at 150°C/300°F. Arrange the baking tray onto the middle shelf. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are slightly darker. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before serving.

To decorate the cookies:

Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate separately using a double boiler, or microwave them in two separate bowls for 30 seconds. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
Drizzle or dip some of the cookies in dark chocolate or white chocolate, then sprinkle them with chopped nuts or coconut flakes. Arrange the chocolate-dipped cookies onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper, and allow the chocolate to set before serving. For the cookies made with the linzer cookies cookie cutter, can be filled with jam, chocolate spread or nut butter of your choice.

Notes

Baking tips:

The butter must be cold from the fridge. Then cut it into chunks, if they soften in the process, return them to the fridge for 10 minutes before use.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. If you chill it overnight, transfer it to the kitchen counter for 15 minutes before rolling the dough.
Roll the dough on a marble surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
Always dust your working surface and your rolling pin with a little flour (or cocoa powder).
If the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin or working surface, chill it again for 15 minutes.
Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Skipping the chilling time will make your cookies spread and flatten in the oven.
Keep the cookies slightly spaced apart, as they will slightly expand while they bake.
For chocolate-dipped cookies use high-quality chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then allow it to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
Use a Linzer cookie cutter to make the sandwich cookies, then fill them with jam, chocolate spread or nut butter of your choice.

Storage tips:

Make sure your Italian chocolate cookies are completely cool to the touch before you store them.
Store them in an air-tight container in a dry cool spot in your pantry, they keep well up to 2 weeks.
To prevent the chocolate-dipped cookies from sticking together, arrange them in a single layer and add a piece of parchment paper between layers.

Can you freeze the cookie dough?

Yes, you can make this cookie dough ahead and freeze it for later.
The cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in advance. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then 15 minutes on the kitchen counter.

Can you freeze Italian chocolate cookies?

You can also freeze the cookies (not decorated) for up to 6 months.
To thaw frozen cookies, place them on a single layer on a baking tray until they come to room temperature.

US CONVERSIONS

This recipe is tested in grams, but US cup conversion is provided. Please note that cups can't be as accurate as grams. When baking, it's always best to use a scale for weighing the ingredients.

Nutrition