Discover the charm of Pizzicati, delightful Italian pinch cookies that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
These delicate shortbread cookies are generously filled with jam, creating a perfect balance of sweetness.
Often referred to as biscotti pizzicati, they make an elegant addition to any dessert tray, embodying the essence of Italian baking.
Ingredients:
For the Cookie Dough:
2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
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Ingredients:
For the Cookie Dough:
2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon
10 tablespoons (140g) very soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
For the Filling:
⅓ cup strawberry jam (or your preferred flavor)
Instructions:
Mix Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest.
Whisk them together until well combined.
Add Wet Ingredients:
To the dry ingredients, add the softened butter, vanilla extract, and eggs.
Using a hand mixer, start on low speed to moisten the flour, then increase to medium speed and mix until the dough becomes a slightly sticky, cohesive mixture, which will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
You can also use a rubber spatula to knead the dough for about a minute until it comes together.
Chill the Dough:
Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a 1-inch thick disk.
Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for one hour.
Roll Out the Dough:
Lightly dust a clean countertop with flour.
Roll out the dough into a thin disk, about less than ¼ inch thick (approximately the height of two stacked quarters).
Cut Out Circles:
Use a 2 ½ -inch biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out circles from the rolled-out dough.
Place these circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Repeat this process until all the dough is used.
Fill and Pinch the Cookies:
In the center of each dough circle, add a scant teaspoon of strawberry jam.
Fold the sides of the circle inwards, pinching the tops together about three finger widths wide across the top, but leaving the ends open.
Fold the pinched side down to either the left or right side of the cookie.
Arrange the pinched cookies about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
Baking:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes.
They should have lightly golden bottoms, the jam will spread to the open ends, but the cookies will remain pale and won’t take on much color.
Cool and Dust:
Once the cookies are ready, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar.
Notes:
- These cookies are delightful with various jam flavors.
If the dough becomes too warm and challenging to work with at any point, refrigerate it for 20 minutes to cool it down. - Avoid using excessive flour while rolling out the dough to ensure the pinches hold during baking.
Rolling the dough thinly is crucial to prevent the pinches from popping open.
You can also make the cookie dough in a food processor by starting with the dry ingredients, pulsing until they come together, then adding the egg, extract, and butter and pulsing until a ball forms.
Nutrition:
Calories: 64.8kcal
Carbohydrates: 8.3g
Protein: 1g
Fat: 3.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.9g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.8g
Trans Fat: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 15.7mg
Sodium: 32mg
Potassium: 12.9mg
Fiber: 0.2g
Sugar: 2.9g
Vitamins: A (99.4IU), C (0.3mg)
Calcium: 6.5mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Source: Grandma’s Treasured Recipes