Description
Delightful Italian Christmas Cookies bring festive cheer with their delicate sweetness and rich cultural tradition. Powdered sugar-dusted morsels from Naples promise a merry celebration that connects family and friends through generations of cherished baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Glaze and Decoration:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 23 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Craft a delicate dough by blending almond and all-purpose flour with powdered sugar and salt in a spacious mixing vessel.
- Incorporate softened butter and vanilla extract, gently kneading until the mixture transforms into a cohesive, smooth dough.
- Delicately shape the dough into petite spheres, approximately the size of a walnut, ensuring uniform dimensions.
- Arrange the rounded morsels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, positioning them with gentle separation to allow room for expansion.
- Transfer the cookie sheet to a preheated oven set at 325F (165C), allowing the delicate orbs to bake until their edges acquire a gentle golden hue, approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the fragile cookies to a wire cooling rack, permitting them to reach ambient temperature completely.
- Prepare the dark chocolate filling by carefully melting it using a double boiler method or microwave technique, stirring until achieving a silky, glossy consistency.
- Once cooled, pair the cookies and create elegant sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of molten chocolate between two complementary halves.
- Allow the chocolate to solidify at room temperature, creating a seamless bond between the delicate cookie layers.
- Serve these elegant Baci di Dama as a sophisticated holiday treat, capturing the essence of traditional Italian Christmas confections.
Notes
- Always use room temperature butter for smoother, more evenly mixed dough that creates delicate cookie texture.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to prevent spreading and maintain precise cookie shape during baking.
- Use a small cookie scoop or melon baller to create uniform cookie sizes, ensuring consistent baking and professional-looking results.
- Experiment with different chocolate varieties like milk or white chocolate for unique flavor variations that suit personal preferences.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 36
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg