Marisa's Italian Kitchen

The Secret Ingredient Is Always Love

Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

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When it comes to decadent cookies these Triple Chocolate Cookies certainly fit the bill.

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.

This post was originally published on February 4, 2015 and republished Jan 31, 2019 with updated photos and content.

They’re a trifecta of pure cocoa and chock full of both semisweet and white chocolate chunks as well as white chocolate chips.

The addition of instant coffee granules elevates these heavenly cookies with amazing mocha flavour!

You’ll find them soft and chewy with loads of gooey melted chocolate when bitten into…just the way I like my cookies.

 

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.

These triple chocolate cookies are just about ready to hit the oven right after mixing the dough together. However, if you love and want more of that concentrated chocolate flavour, then do chill the dough overnight.

This cookie dough is a rather stiff dough to start off with. So, if you do chill the dough overnight then simply remember to allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about an hour or two. This will make it easier to scoop out and bake.

A good old tablespoon is enough to scoop up chunks of cookie dough for baking. However, if you have a small ice-cream scoop of about 1 and a half inch to 2 inches, this would work even better. It allows you to swoop in and scoop and releases the cookie dough without much effort.

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.

You’ll probably get a good 3 dozen medium size cookies…give or take a few!

However you can make them larger if you wish.

Simply remember to adjust the baking time accordingly for bigger cookies.

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.

Tips for making soft triple chocolate cookies

A useful tip to chewy gooey cookies, is not to over bake them.

For cookies with soft and chewy centres, bake them for about 8 minutes. They’ll be very fragile when removed from the oven so allow them to cool in the baking pan placed over a cooling rack.

If you like them crispier around the edges then simply bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Decadent triple chocolate cookies. These cookies are soft and chewy with loads of gooey chocolate.
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Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple chocolate cookies, chock full of both semi-sweet and white chocolate chunks and semi-sweet chocolate chips. A heavenly decadent cookie.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate, Cookie, Triple chocolate, Soft and chewy
Servings 36
Author Marisa

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 3/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 cup chopped white chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375*
  2. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, coffee, salt and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and both the sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix till blended. Mix in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips, chopped semi-sweet chocolate and chopped white chocolate.
  5. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form balls into large walnut size chunks of dough. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, they should look just barely set with a shiny sheen. Remove from oven and let cool 15 mins.

Recipe Notes

This recipe was adapted from The Best of Better Baking by Marcy Goldman. One of my favourite cookbooks, with lots of insightful information to turn anyone into a better baker.

 

Ricciarelli Italian Almond Cookies

by 15 Comments

Ricciarelli, Italian Almond Cookies are typical Christmas cookies from Siena, Italy. They’re exquisite little morsels and a joy to make!

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

As I reflect each year on which cookies to add to my Christmas cookie platter, a balance of different textures and flavours is what I look for. Some have to include a type of nut while some are without.

I would need at least one colourful treat to brighten up the mound of cookies piled up high on my holiday platter. Such as these Italian Rainbow Cookies.

And then we mustn’t forget family members with dietary restrictions such as those who are gluten intolerant! They too need a perfectly satisfying sweet nibble! This is where these Ricciarelli make an appearance!

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

What I love about these cookies is that you really don’t need any serious baking skills. It’s simply a few very good quality ingredients consisting mostly of finely ground almonds and some powdered sugar.

They’re almond and lemon scented and also wonderfully perfumed with the seeds of a vanilla bean.

A touch of beaten egg whites binds the ingredients together to bring you a deliciously soft and chewy cookie with its distinctive crackled appearance.

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

You can make this cookie in different stages if you wish.

Day 1…you can blanch your own almonds if your so inclined. This is a process I really enjoy doing and extremely easy to do. You can check out my notes below.

Day 2…you can prepare the cookie dough and refrigerate over night.

Day 3…slice, shape and bake! Its pretty simple right? Told you so!

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

A Little About Ricciarelli Cookies

Aside from being a Sienese Christmas treat, these cookies are customarily shaped into an oval or diamond form.

Some would say that the oval shape was meant to represent the eyes of the Madonna by Renaissance painters.

However, according to one legend it is said that a noble knight, Ricciardetto Della Gherardesca introduced the diamond shaped form of this cookie. Its oval shape with the pointed tips greatly reminded him of the Sultan’s slippers from his crusades of the far East. Hence the name Ricciarelli!

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

Whatever shape or form you decide on, I’m sure you’ll agree these cookies reign supreme in elegance and simplicity.

Serve alongside your favourite sweet wine or Vin Santo and enjoy them in the company of your wonderful family members or friends!

Happy Holidays dear friends!

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

 

Ricciarelli are Italian Almond Cookies. They're gluten free, lemon scented with soft chewy centres.
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Ricciarelli Italian Almond Cookies

Ricciareli, Italian Almond Cookies are deliciously soft and chewy cookies with a distinctive crackled surface. A typical Sienese Christmas cookie.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Ricciarelli Italian Almond Cookies
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups blanched almonds see notes below for blanching your own
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • lemon zest from half a lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • seeds from 1 vanilla bean
  • egg whites from 2 large eggs
  • powdered sugar for dusting approximately 1 cup

Instructions

Preparing The Cookie Dough

  1. In a food processor, pulse together the blanched almonds with 3/4 cups of the powdered sugar until fine in texture.

  2. Add in the remaining sugar, lemon zest, almond extract, the vanilla bean seeds and pulse together until very fine. Set aside.

  3. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with a fork just until foamy.

  4. Add the beaten egg whites to the almond mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time while stirring  just until you've achieved a stiff dough.

  5. Dust your hands and a flat work surface with a little powdered sugar and roll out the cookie dough into a log about one inch and a half in diameter.

  6. Wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

When Ready To Bake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  3. Slice the cookie dough into 24 equal portions and roll each into a ball.

  4. One at a time, slightly flatten each ball between the palms of your hands while forming into an oval shape.

  5. Place the shaped cookies onto the prepared baking sheets while spacing them 2 inches apart.

  6. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

  7. Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the sides are pale golden in colour.

  8. Take care not to over bake them. They should look dry and not overly dark.

  9. Allow to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet as these cookies are very soft and fragile when removed from the oven.

  10. Enjoy with your favourite sweet wine or Vin Santo.

  11. They keep well for up to a week at room temperature sealed in an air tight container.

Recipe Notes

Blanching Almonds

Place the almonds in a pot of boiling water and allow to simmer for about 60 to 70 seconds. The almonds will start to rise and bob on the surface. The skin will have a shriveled up appearance.

Drain the almonds and run under cold water then pat dry with a clean dish towel.

One at a time, gently press on the almond between your thumb and index finger to release the nut from its skin.

Allow the blanched almonds to dry at room temperature, on a clean dish towel, before proceeding with the recipe. This can also be done overnight.

If your pressed for time you can dry the almonds in a low heated oven for 5 minutes or so.

 

Butterball Cookies

by 45 Comments

Cute as a button and with only 3 ingredients in the dough, these Butterball Cookies are simply irresistible! They’re sandwiched together with seedless raspberry jam and rolled in aromatic vanilla sugar for a sparkly appeal.

A three ingredient cookie dough. These Butterball Cookies are sandwiched together with raspberry jam and rolled in vanilla sugar.

This post was originally published in December of 2015 and republished December 4, 2018 with updated photos and content.

My exquisitely fragrant Vanilla Sugar is ready and waiting to coat these cute little one bite Butterball Cookies!

I am filling mine with raspberry jam as it seems to be everyone’s favourite. But also because the redness of the jam really adds a festive colour this time of the year. This is especially wonderful when you serve a platter full of Christmas cookies. They stand out like little jewels ready to be plucked off the tray!

Alternately the butterball cookies can be filled with Nutella or even chocolate ganache. However you choose to fill them they will garner many smiles from both kids and adults alike.

A three ingredient cookie dough. These Butterball Cookies are sandwiched together with raspberry jam and rolled in vanilla sugar.

Its not an overly complicated recipe or with any fancy techniques. We are taking a few simple ingredients, which you probably already have on hand. And, we are turning them into these irresistible buttery morsels.

So get comfortable, play your favourite holiday music and lets roll some butterballs!

A three ingredient cookie dough. These Butterball Cookies are sandwiched together with raspberry jam and rolled in vanilla sugar.

How To Make Perfect Butterball Cookies

You will need 3 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Make sure your dough has been chilled at least 4 hours before rolling the cookies. You can also make the dough up to 5 days in advance and refrigerate till ready to use.

Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of cookie dough and roll in the palm of your hands, no bigger than the size of a hazelnut in it’s shell.

Continue with the remaining dough and chill the butterballs in your freezer for 30 minutes before baking.

When ready to bake space them out on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart as these will spread. Bake one cookie tray at a time while keeping the remaining cookies chilling in the freezer.

Once the cookies are baked and cooled, place a small dollop of jam on the flat surface of one half of the cooled cookies and top with another half to sandwich them together. Roll the cookies in the vanilla sugar.

They’re simply beautiful served in an elegant footed glass bowl and also make a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie platter.

Which ever way you serve them, they’re sure to impress your guests!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

A three ingredient cookie dough. These Butterball Cookies are sandwiched together with raspberry jam and rolled in vanilla sugar.
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Butterball Cookies

Irresistible Butterball Cookies! They're sandwiched together with seedless raspberry jam and rolled in aromatic vanilla sugar for a sparkly appeal.

Course Cookie
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Author Marisa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • 1 cup vanilla sugar for rolling

Instructions

  1. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar until well blended then add in the flour and continue mixing until the dough is formed. Wrap the dough with saran wrap and chill the dough for about 3 hours. Chilling the dough will prevent the cookies from spreading out too much when baked.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375*F.
  3. Use a small spoon to tear out small pieces of dough and use the palm of your hands to roll them out into small balls about the size of a hazelnut. Place them on a cookie sheet and chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

  4. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets (cookies will spread). Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the cookies are firm and pale golden in colour. Keep the remaining cookie sheets chilled till ready to bake the next batch.

  5. Spread the flat side of half the cookies with the jam and then top with remaining cookies to form a sandwich. Once you have paired them and formed little sandwich cookies, roll them in vanilla sugar to coat all over.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is adapted from a wonderful cookbook: Chocolate and Vanilla by Gale Gand

 

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

by 12 Comments

An Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe fit for a queen or even a princess. They’re an extremely popular Sicilian cookie with a distinctive sesame seed crust. Made with olive oil, perfumed with both orange blossom water and the zest of an orange. These cookies are not overly sweet and truly irresistible.

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

Biscotti Regina easily translates to Queen’s cookies and is a classic Sicilian cookie.

There is some speculation that these Biscotti Regina were named after Queen Margherita di Savoia. She was the much beloved queen of Italy and wife to King Umberto I. Another more popular and well known food named after Italy’s favorite queen is pizza Margherita favoring the colors of the Italian Flag. Red, white and green representing tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Really though, you don’t have to be a queen to enjoy these yummy cookies!

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

More on these irresistible cookies!

These cookies came about after a dear reader inquired about them.

Although they can be made with butter, shortening or olive oil, I settled on the latter after testing them with butter.

I love the depth of flavor olive oil lends to these cookies and its truly a wonderful alternative to butter.

Also I added orange zest and some orange blossom water for extra flavor but do go easy on blossom water. Otherwise, they will turn out tasting like a floral bouquet!

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

They’re simple to make and if you have little ones who love to help in the kitchen then they’ll get a kick out of rolling the cookies in the sesame seeds.

There are a couple of ways to shape these cookies.  One is to keep them in a log shape after rolling and cutting the pieces. But if like me and you prefer a more oval or rounder shape then simply roll the cut pieces into balls.

Then dip into the beaten egg whites and finally roll in the sesame seeds. Just before they’re ready for the oven I press them down a little then I cup the 2 sides together with the palm of my hands. This presses them back up a little while forming an oval shape.

Alternately, you can dip them in milk and then roll in the sesame seeds if you wish. But I find that the sesame seeds adhere better to the egg whites and render crispier outer layers.

It’s all a matter of preference I guess!

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

They bake up into these pretty shapes with a lovely crackle top lending a little peek into its textured outer layers.

They’re a crumbly cookie and slightly drier in texture with a tender bite. Perfectly dunkable in a steaming cup of coffee or tea!

These cookies keep extremely well in an airtight container for at least a week if not a bit longer. I wasn’t able to test their freshness beyond that because they disappeared quickly at my house.

But you’ll be happy to know that they also freeze well too. Perfect for make ahead desserts!

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

Add some love in your kitchen with these yummy morsels and feel like a queen for the day!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe
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Italian Biscotti Regina Recipe

A very popular Sicilian cookie with a distinctive sesame seed crust. Made with olive oil, scented with both orange blossom water and orange zest. These cookies are truly irresistible.

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Biscotti Regina
Servings 40
Author Marisa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 cups raw sesame seeds
  • 2 eggwhites from 2 large eggs

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

  2. Add in the olive oil and mix with an electric mixer just until a fine sandy texture is achieved.

  3. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, orange zest and honey until well incorporated.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  6. In a small bowl beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of water using a fork and set aside till ready to dip the cookies.

  7. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and place on a lightly floured work surface.

  8. Working with one portion of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll into a log of 1 inch wide in diameter and 10 inches long.

  9. Cut the rolled dough into 5 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. It will be approximately the size of a walnut in its shell. Set aside and repeat with the remaining logs.

  10. When all your balls are shaped, use a fork to dip one cookie at a time first into the beaten egg white mixture and then roll in the sesame seeds while turning to coat all over.

  11. Transfer each cookie to the prepared sheet pans. Press down slightly on each cookie and the tuck the edges back up using the palm of your hands to form oval shapes. 

  12. I was able to fit 20 cookies on each baking pan. They don't spread much but will puff up.

  13. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or till golden brown.

  14. Allow to cool on a wire rack and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

  15. These cookies keep extremely well in an air tight container for at least a week. I haven't tested them past that one week because they're simply too yummy to have lasted any longer.

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

by 25 Comments

These Lemon Cornmeal S cookies are really quite tender with a lovely gritty texture from the addition of yellow corn meal and carry an unmistakable lemon scent. They’re deliciously simple to make and with staple ingredients you most likely already have on hand.

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

My love for any type of cookie is well documented in previous recipe posts. So much so that I rarely ever have store bought cookies around unless they’re Italian S shaped cookies which I usually buy from Italian specialty shops.

Both my children have fond memories of dipping their hands into their favorite cookie jar brimming with store bought S shaped cookies, but I must say that we adults enjoyed them as much as they if not more!

Recently, my daughter suggested I try making some homemade S cookies from scratch and this had me wondering why I hadn’t thought of it before. I knew at that moment that I needed a homemade version in my life, ASAP!

I aimed for a cookie with texture and knew cornmeal would work wonderfully and lend a pleasant gritty feel. But I also wanted them to be rich in taste and so I played around with egg ratios till my family members gave them a thumbs up.

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

Aside from being pleasantly gritty in texture they’re also extremely airy and make a lovely alternative to a much sweeter cookie and simply beg to be dipped in a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

In fact these not too sweet cookies are perfect after an overindulgent meal and equally great as an anytime snack

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

Whisking vs Sifting:

Another area I experimented with was in baking a batch using whisked dry ingredients and another with dry sifted ingredients. I must say there was a remarkable difference in the two methods and both with wonderful results.

In whisking the dry ingredients together I achieved a soft workable dough and I needed a minimal amount of flour on my hands to shape the cookies. They baked to a lovely golden color and retained their S shape. In texture they were both airy and dry but still tender, with similar characteristics of the store bought variety but much tastier in my opinion.

While sifting the dry ingredients in my next batch, this yielded a notable difference. Sifting aerated the dough which necessitated in an extra 1/2 cup of flour to be workable in shaping the S cookies. The other is that the cookies spread out ever so slightly and were much softer, airier and lighter in texture.

Again both equally delicious and something to keep in mind when trying the recipe for yourselves!

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

While we enjoyed both variations of these adorable Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies, I love them sprinkled with turbinado sugar. My daughter less so! A great compromise would be to bake half the batch of S cookies without the sprinkle of sugar. It’s a win win in my opinion!

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

In lieu of the Easter holiday, I dipped some in a lemon glaze and topped them with sprinkles. If you plan to do the same, simply omit brushing the cookies with the egg wash and also omit the turbinado sugar.

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

Hopefully your cookie jar is brimming with your own favorite goodies this long Easter weekend!

Buona Pasqua a tutti…Happy Easter everyone!

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies
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Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

These Lemon Cornmeal S cookies are really quite tender with a lovely gritty texture from the addition of yellow corn meal and carry a subtle lemon scent, enough to perk up your taste buds.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 dozen
Author Marisa

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup yellow corn meal fine grind
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • lemon zest from 2 lemons
  • 2 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks reserve the remaining egg whites for brushing over the cookies before baking
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • turbinado sugar to sprinkle over the cookies optional

Instructions

  1. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you prepare the cookie dough.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt then set aside.
  3. Place the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse together for about 20 seconds to make a quick lemon sugar, then set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat together the 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, and lemon sugar on medium high speed for 5 minutes till thickened.
  5. Mix in the melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract until combined.
  6. Stir in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
  7. The dough will be soft but manageable to work with.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you start rolling and shaping the S cookies.
  9. Scoop out a large ball of cookie dough using an ice-cream scoop.
  10. Dust hands with a bit of flour and roll out to form a 12 inch long rope about a 1/2 inch in diameter.
  11. Cut the rope into 3 equal pieces of 4 inches each.
  12. Transfer each piece one at a time to the prepared cookie sheet and bend into an S shape while spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
  13. Beat the reserved egg whites and brush lightly over the S shaped cookies.
  14. Sprinkle the cookies with the turbinado sugar and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes.
  15. When done the cookies should have a lovely golden color.
  16. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
  17. Allow to cool and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

Recipe Notes

If planning to dip some of the cookies in a lemon glaze, OMIT brushing the S cookies with beaten egg whites and the turbinado sugar, then bake as directed. Once cooled dip them in a lemon glaze to a ratio of 1 cup powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, approximately, depending on how thick you want the lemon glaze. Top with sprinkles of your choice before icing sets.

 

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