Cookies & Bars, Dessert Recipes

The Top Secret Recipe for New York Italian Butter Cookies

Our chef has recently helped a few bakers, originally from Brooklyn, who have been on a long quest to find a recipe for certain Italian bakery cookies. These bakers call them butter cookies, although they don't taste buttery.

All the Italian pastry shops & bakeries make them in NY. The unique thing about them is their texture, which is crisp and crumbly, almost sandy. They are generally piped through a star tip in round shapes and sometimes dipped in chocolate or with sprinkles.

Our culinary team tried several recipes, but they didn’t have that sandy texture. So, they worked on the texture, refined the recipe, and are sharing it here using our Panhandle Milling Kamut® All-Purpose Flour. We have heard back from many bakers from New York, and all have been very pleased with the results of this recipe. We hope you’ll agree.

New York Italian Butter Tea Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
¾ cup confectioners powdered sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups Panhandle Milling Kamut® All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup cornstarch

Directions:

Wash and sanitize all work surfaces and tools. In a 2-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening, and sugars on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla on low speed and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Increase speed to high and whip for 4 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. On low speed, slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix on low speed for 1 minute when all the flour is added.
Line sheet pans with parchment paper. Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip. Fill the bag 3/4 of the way full of the cookie dough and form it into cookies the size of a quarter, allowing 1 inch between cookies for spreading.
Sprinkle with sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking. Bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
Wash and Sanitize work surfaces. Decorate or dip in chocolate. Yield 2-3 dozen 1 ½-inch cookies.