Enjoy this amazing recipe for Italian whipped shortbread cookies and make a batch this coming weekend. It requires 20 minutes of hands-on time to make the world's best butter cookies. They are just what you need for your cup of tea or coffee!
After I made traditional French butter biscuits, I came up with another idea of making Italian butter cookies.
They both call for the same basic ingredients, but these Italian shortbread cookies are fluffier than the French palet Breton.
They are even lighter than the regular shortbread cookies due to their unique technique of making the shortbread dough.
No wonder once you give it a try, you will consider this recipe the best butter cookie recipe ever.
I slightly adapted it from the authentic recipe created by the famous Italian chef Iginio Massari, who owns a pastry shop, “Pasticceria Veneto,” in Italy. So, as you can imagine, this recipe is for real Italian bakery cookies.
So, why not follow this Italian butter cookie recipe and bake the cookies yourself? Not only will you make up to 25 of them at once, but a homemade dessert is always divine. You will love the recipe!
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Jump to:
- Whipped shortbread cookies
- The best butter for baking cookies
- Piping whipped shortbread cookies
- Italian shortbread cookies variations
- Why the Italian butter cookie recipe works
- Ingredients
- How to make Italian butter cookies
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- More delicious cookie recipes you will love
- Need to adjust your baking pan size?
- Recipe card
- Comments
Whipped shortbread cookies
These cookies categorized as shortbread are also called whipped shortbread cookies or melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. Why?
The matter is that there is one secret to their delicateness and “melt-in-your-mouth” quality: whipping the butter/sugar mixture for about 10 minutes.
This step adds more air to the cookie batter, which gives additional lightness and tenderness to the cookie texture after baking. If you have ever heard about the expression "5-star shortbread cookies," this is the case!
The best butter for baking cookies
The main ingredient of these Italian shortbread cookies is butter. It is responsible for the dough texture, cookie flakiness, and buttery taste.
So, which butter to buy to get the beautiful texture and flavor of baked cookies? It is recommended to use a high-quality European-style butter with lower water content and more butterfat (from 82 to 87 percent). This extra fat helps create better flakiness.
European-style butter also has a slight tang flavor that is often felt in the baked goodies, but this is the flavor that we appreciate.
Piping whipped shortbread cookies
Once you make the shortbread dough/batter, transfer it to a pastry bag with your favorite tip and pipe right away. Do not chill the dough; otherwise, it will become thicker and more difficult to pipe. If it becomes too stiff to pipe even at room temperature, you can add a few drops of milk.
Pipe the batter in the way you desire, which makes the process of cookie customization enjoyable. The most common piping technique is to create a classic swirl using an open star pastry tip. The larger tip, the better since the batter is quite thick.
Pipping the shortbread cookie batter is very forgiving. Pipe it on the parchment paper till you perfect the shape of the cookies.
If you go wrong, discard the “ugly looking cookie” into a pastry bag and pipe again. Now it becomes obvious why this kind of cookie is called piped cookies.
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Italian shortbread cookies variations
You will love to customize the cookies! Using a single recipe, you can get lots of variations. Top cookies with different nuts or chocolate chips before baking and make them extra pretty and tasteful.
Pipe cookies into rosettes and top them with maraschino cherries. Or dip baked cookies in the melted chocolate and then nuts or sprinkles to make these cookies the festive ones.
You can also sandwich two of them with a jam or preserves to make sandwich cookies. Using different decorations, you can even make a beautiful platter of assorted Italian shortbread cookies.
And it does not matter which way you choose to customize them; their flavor is buttery and exceptional.
Why the Italian butter cookie recipe works
- These rich buttery cookies are one of the quickest cookies to make. They require 20 minutes of active, hands-on time and 13 to 15 minutes to bake.
- It is an easy and fun baking project you can make with kids.
- Freezing the batter shaped into cookies for up to 3 months is a great make-ahead option.
- These Italian butter cookies make a great edible gift during the holiday season. First, double or triple the recipe and make a whole batch of these whipped shortbread cookies for a cookie swap. Then, wrap them up or place them in a tin and send them to your family or friends.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.
Butter: use the softened European-style unsalted butter. Take it out of the fridge 2 hours before baking. You can also make salted butter cookies using salted butter if you prefer.
Icing sugar: make it at home using a coffee grinder or buy powdered sugar.
Egg yolks: separate egg yolks from egg whites while the eggs are chilled. If you double or triple the recipe during a holiday season, use leftover egg whites to make Brown Butter French Financiers.
Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk.
Vanilla bean: since the flavor makes a difference in making these buttery cookies, it is essential to use the best quality wholesale Madagascar vanilla beans.
Lemon zest: use organic, untreated lemon. The best tool to use is a zester grater to get the zest.
All-purpose flour, baking powder.
How to make Italian butter cookies
In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place softened butter and whip, gradually adding powdered (icing) sugar. Add scraped seeds of vanilla bean, lemon zest, and salt, and continue to whip until light and fluffy for about 10 minutes (photo 1).
In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with milk using a fork. In another bowl, sift half of the flour using a flour sifter. Add egg yolks/milk mixture to the principal preparation, alternating with flour, and beat until well-combined after each addition (photo 2).
Sift the remaining flour with baking powder and combine with a rubber spatula, working from bottom to top (photo 3).
Transfer the cookie batter into a pastry bag with an open star pastry tip and pipe rings onto a baking sheet covered with parchment (photo 4).
Sprinkle cookies with nuts and chocolate chips, or leave them plain. Refrigerate the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes (photo 5).
Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. Bake cookies for about 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookie edges are lightly browned (photo 6).
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with powdered (icing) sugar if you desire.
Expert tips
- Whip the butter/sugar mixture for about 10 minutes to aerate the preparation. It is a mandatory step in making these cookies.
- Use a cookie press if you do not have a pastry bag with a tip.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time. In this case, you will avoid the burning of cookies placed on a lower rack.
Frequently asked questions
How to make Italian shortbread cookies in advance
Cut shortbread cookies out of the dough, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze. Once the unbaked cookies are firm, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for three months. Bake frozen cookies, but add 2 to 4 minutes to the baking time.
How to store shortbread cookies
Store baked shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for one week.
How to freeze shortbread cookies
Place the cooled shortbread cookies in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag with parchment paper in between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
Freeze cookies for up to one month. To thaw the cookies, remove them from the container/bag, place them on a baking sheet, and let them thaw at room temperature.
More delicious cookie recipes you will love
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Recipe card
Authentic Italian Shortbread Cookies
Enjoy this amazing recipe for Italian whipped shortbread cookies and make a batch this coming weekend. It requires 20 minutes of hands-on time to make the world's best butter cookies. They are just what you need for your cup of tea or coffee!
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 20-25 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4.4 oz (125 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- 2.5 tbsp (40 g) egg yolks (see note #1)
- 3 ⅓ tbsp (50 g) whole milk
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 pinch of salt
- nuts, chocolate chips (optional)
* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
-
In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place softened butter and whip, gradually adding powdered (icing) sugar. Add scraped seeds of vanilla bean, lemon zest, salt and continue to whip until light and fluffy (about 10 minutes).
-
In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with milk, using a fork. In another bowl, sift half of the flour, using a flour sifter. Add egg yolks/milk mixture to the principal preparation, alternating with flour, and beat until well-combined after each addition.
-
Sift the remaining flour with baking powder and combine with a rubber spatula, working from bottom to top.
-
Transfer the cookie batter into a pastry bag with an open star pastry tip and pipe rings onto a baking sheet covered with parchment. Sprinkle cookies with nuts, chocolate chips, or leave them plain. Refrigerate the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. Bake cookies for about 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookie edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with powdered (icing) sugar if you desire.
Notes
- 40 g egg yolks approximately equal 2 raw fresh egg yolks from extra large size chicken eggs.
- Whip the butter/sugar mixture for about 10 minutes to aerate the preparation. It is a mandatory step in making these cookies.
- Use a cookie press if you do not have a pastry bag with tip/s.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time. In this case, you will avoid the burning of cookies placed on a lower rack.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 51 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.7 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 347 mg
Keywords: Italian shortbread cookies, whipped shortbread cookies, Italian butter cookies, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was adapted from https://www.pinellaorgiana.it/ It was originally published in November 2018. The recipe has been re-tested and revised to include improved content and photos. All the posted pictures are mine.
Mary says
Oh my goodness, I think I want to cry. These look like a recipe from my childhood my Sicilian grandma used to make! Can’t wait to try❤️Thank you!
★★★★★
Veena Azmanov says
These are surely mouth melting and delicious. They look cute and kids to relish them for sure.
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Do you not know that these cookies are really called "melt-in-your-mouth" cookies?! Thanks for your comment!
Natalie says
I remember these from our trip to Italy a few years ago! These cookies look so delicious I just have to try this recipe soon!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Moreover, these cookies are effortless to make! Enjoy!
Tracy says
This brings me back to my time in Italy!! I LOVE it - they're absolutely perfect .
★★★★★
Laura | Wandercooks says
These remind me of lingue di gatto cookies we tried when we travelled through Italy. So light and crispy!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you! Once I travel to Italy, I will try those cookies!
Suzy says
I am dying over these cookies! My mother in law used to make something like this but I didn't have the recipe! They look amazing! can't wait to see how they turn out!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Here we go! You will love these cookies!
Noelle says
This makes brings me back to my travels in Italy! Thank you
★★★★★
Michelle says
These sound delicious! Reminds me of when I traveled Italy a few years back
★★★★★
Iryna says
These cookies look delicious and remind me of Danish butter cookies. They make a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Iryna. I usually double the recipe and make about 50 cookies at once. Yes, they are perfect for the afternoon tea.
Morgan Eisenberg says
Opening a tin of these as a kids was always such a letdown, because it was more likely to be full of sewing supplies than cookies. Luckily now I have this recipe!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
These cookies are fun to make and delicious to eat. Enjoy!:)
Josi says
My mouth is watering, these look sooo good!!! So interesting that the butter is whipped for 10 minutes! Gotta try that!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Josi, the butter whisked with sugar for 10 minutes becomes whitish and fluffy. It is an amazing technique! Just enjoy!
Alison says
Can vanilla extract be used if I don’t have vanilla beans on hand?
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Alison, sure, just try to add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. It will work for sure! Happy baking and enjoy!
Anita says
I never knew there's an Italian version for butter cookies, always thought there's only the Danish version. I must give this a try soon. 🙂
★★★★★
Jack says
This cookies go perfectly with my afternoon coffee! Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Aimee Mars says
I absolutely love shortbread cookies! My grandmother always had some on hand, and even though she wasn't Italian, they always make me think of her. I can't wait to make this recipe and maybe also bring her some.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Aimee! Happy baking and enjoy these cute cookies. You will love them, so your grandmother.
Emily says
These Italian cookies are so delicious! I love how you walked through the directions step by step, so helpful!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thanks, Emily. Please, enjoy the recipe!
Liz says
These cookies remind me of the cookies that came in the blue tins growing up. I always wanted the buttery ones while everyone else went for the sweet ones! I am definitely going to make these!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Liz! Happy baking and enjoy it!
Biana says
These cookies look amazing, similar to some of the best Italian cookies I have tried. I can't wait to make them myself.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you very much, Biana! Happy baking, and please, let me know how it went.
Jen Talley says
These look incredible! I love finding unique cookie recipes! I can't want to try them!
★★★★★
Irina says
Oh, Jen, you will love these cookies once you make them. Happy baking! Thanks for visiting the recipe.
Allison says
These look absolutely divine! Any cookies with butter is a winner for me 🙂
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Allison! Please, enjoy the recipe!
Emmeline says
Wow, I love this type of cookies, but I had no idea it was so quick and easy to make! I am whipping up a batch today!
★★★★★
Irina says
What a great idea it is, Emmeline! Happy baking and enjoy it!
Dannii says
Oh, these look so light and buttery. Perfect with a cup of coffee.
★★★★★
Irina says
Yes, you are right, Dannii! It is my favorite way to start the day. 🙂
Anjali says
These cookies turned out to be absolutely delicious!! They were perfect for dipping in my coffee this afternoon! 🙂
★★★★★
Irina says
Anjali, I am so delighted to hear that you liked these cookies! Thanks.
Bintu says
Definitely going to have to whip up a batch of these this weekend! They sound absolutely divine!
★★★★★
Irina says
It sounds like a plan for the weekend, Bintu 🙂 Please, let me know how your baking went then. Thanks.
Rika says
This recipe was delicious! My kids keep asking me to make more of these! Yum!
★★★★★
Irina says
I am happy to hear that. Thank you for your feedback, Rika!
Amy says
This cookie recipe has me so excited for the holiday season! I really need to stock up on some quality vanilla beans before the baking season hits!
★★★★★
Irina says
The cookies indeed make a great edible gift. It is a great idea, Amy!
Carrie Robinson says
What a perfect cookie for an afternoon tea! 🙂
★★★★★
Irina says
I would add "and coffee". 🙂 Carrie, please, enjoy the recipe.
Jennifer says
You're right, these are the best butter cookies I've made. So good. Chef's kiss!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you very much for your comment, Jennifer! I am glad to hear that.
Allison says
These cookies look and sound divine!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Allison! Please, enjoy the recipe.
Kathryn Donangelo says
These Italian cookies are so delicious; I made them this weekend. They were SO perfect with my coffee this morning, thank you! 🙂
★★★★★
Irina says
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the cookies, Kathryn! Thanks.
Luci says
You can't go wrong with these Italian shortbread cookies! I baked these over the weekend, and they're already gone! My husband and I loved the flavor of them with our afternoon coffee.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thanks for letting me know, Luci. Please, keep the recipe. 🙂
Jen Talley says
These shortbread cookies are just like my husband's grandma used to make! Delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
Irina says
Perfect, Jen! Please, enjoy the recipe!
Alexandra says
These cookies made for a wonderful weekend baking project - they didn't last long though, we ate them so quickly! So delicious.
★★★★★
Irina says
I am glad you enjoyed the cookie baking! Thanks for your comment, Alexandra.
Caitlyn Erhardt says
What a perfect cookie! So light and fluffy!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Caitlyn!
Helen says
Hi Irina,
I made this recipe, and they taste delicious; however, something went wrong as when I baked them (even though I pipped them and refrigerated them), they completely lost their shape when baked. I pipped the mixture with a star-shaped tip into straight lines instead of rosettes, but they lost all their shape and looked like a flat rectangular biscuit. Where did I go wrong? Please assist.
Irina says
Helen, I am sorry to hear that the cookies turned out flat. Let me try to help you. First, please, check your measurements since baking is a science and requires precise measurements. I highly recommend using a cooking scale. From here, too much sugar and butter can make these cookies spread and lose their shape while baking. Second, the quality of butter plays a crucial role in this particular recipe. Also, I hope that you brought cookies into the preheated oven and did not open the door while baking. Moreover, you should pipe cookies on parchment and not on a greased baking sheet. The last thing to try is to chill the piped cookies for longer than 30 minutes, let's say for at least one hour. I hope this helps. Please, let me know how the cookies turn out next time you bake them.
Yvonne Dubrow says
Could this be somehow adapted to chocolate cookies?
Irina says
Yes, please, replace 20-25 g of flour with cocoa powder. Sift both dry ingredients and use this mixture as "flour" in the recipe.
Marybeth Macaluso says
Hi! I tried making these cookies today. I was so excited! The few that I baked tasted very good. However, I had a lot of trouble squeezing it out of the pastry bag, What do you think I did wrong? Is there another way/shape/ method I could use? Thanks. I was hoping to make these for my son's wedding in September!!!
Irina says
Hello, Marybeth. If you followed the recipe, you should get the proper consistency of the cookie dough, which is thick enough. I have never had any difficulties with piping these cookies, although, yes, it is a quite pushing technique. Did you use any tip with a pastry bag? What size of a piping tip did you use? First, please, try to review the recipe and the amounts of ingredients. Second, please, try to use a large size of a piping tip. Third, you can always try to use a cookie press instead. Please, let me know how the second attempt went. 🙂
Marybeth Macaluso says
Oh, and one other question, what is considered high-quality European butter, and where do I buy it?
Irina says
If you live in the States, look for Kerrygold Butter from Ireland that has a higher fat content than its US-made counterparts. In any way, please, try to look for butter with high butterfat content (from 82 to 87 percent).
Joell says
Has anybody actually tried making these with this recipe? It would be nice if the comments were more than flattery. I have made this type of cookie before, and it was a huge fail: too thick to pipe through using the recommended large open tip, and the baked cookie dough did not have much flavor, and I am a very experienced baker. I don't want to waste all that butter on a recipe posted that no one has actually tested. Sorry but my experience is you can't always rely only on the opinion of the person posting the recipe.
Irina says
Hi Joell, thank you for your interest in the recipe. I understand your desire to succeed with the recipe at the first attempt. I have readers who made cookies, and they turned out great. I also had a reader who said it was hard to pipe the cookie dough. I have made these cookies a few times and had no problems with piping. Well, the cookie dough is thick enough, but if you use it right away, you will be able to pipe cookies without issues. I also read from the Italian bloggers (the cookies are the Italian ones) that it is advisable to pipe using a reusable cloth piping bag. I personally used an Ateco disposable decorating bag. I hope this helps. Please, let me know if you tried the recipe. Happy baking!
Cindy says
Hi Irina...
Your recipe looks fantastic. I wonder whether I could use cold dough and cut it out instead of pipping it? Thank you!
Irina says
Hi Cindy, thanks for your interest in the recipe. I have never tried to make these cookies in another way. But theoretically, I think you could wrap the cookie dough in plastic, chill it, roll it between two parchment sheets, and cut cookies. I am not sure if you can use a cookie-cutter, but you could cut them with a knife. And one more thing: roll the dough thick enough, about 1/2 inch thick, since the piped cookies are thick.
Silvia Presenza says
These are a pleasure to bake. I’ve made them with the star tip, but I’ve also made them without it and just used a piping bag and snipped the tip-off ...also super easy to make. I did get creative and made them into the letter S, which is also easy to do. I’ve added these to my cookie rotation. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you very much, Silvia, for your comment. It is so helpful for readers who want to give these cookies a try.
Tammie says
I made these, and they are amazing! With just a tiny bit of tweak, they will be on my recipe list forever!
★★★★★
Irina says
Hello Tammie, I am happy to hear that! Could you please, share your tweak with readers? Thanks!
Sorin says
Hi, I just tried the recipe yesterday. Taste wise very nice, but although they stayed in the fridge, they melted in the oven like they needed more flour. Thank you.
Irina says
Hello Sorin, I am sorry that the cookies melted during baking. Did you use the butter or substitute it? Did you make any changes to the recipe? Please, review the recipe one more time and get back to me to try to find the issue that caused the melting of the cookies. I made this recipe myself many times and never had such an issue.