Cookie Recipes Made with Love – From Italian Classics to Family Favorites
Welcome! This is your go-to spot for homemade cookie recipes that warm the heart. You’ll find crisp Biscotti, chewy Amaretti, and festive treats for every season.
These recipes come from real kitchens and real traditions. Many have been passed down through generations. Each one brings just the right mix of sweetness, crunch, or chew.
Bake for the holidays, a party, or just because. Whatever the reason, these cookies bring smiles. They’re easy to make, full of flavor, and made to share.
Get ready to fill your kitchen with the smell of something amazing. Let’s bake!
Canestrelli
Canestrelli are delicate, flower-shaped shortbread cookies with a dusting of powdered sugar, originating from Northern Italy, particularly the regions of Liguria and Piedmont. Their name comes from canestro, meaning “basket” in Italian, a nod to the woven baskets in which these cookies were traditionally carried or displayed during festivals and celebrations. Canestrelli date back to medieval times and were often…
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Chocolate Hazelnut (Baci di Dama)
Baci di Dama, which means “lady’s kisses” in Italian, are charming chocolate hazelnut cookies that originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Dating back to the 19th century, these delicate treats were created by local bakers who combined two simple, buttery hazelnut cookies with a rich layer of dark chocolate, symbolizing a sweet kiss between the two halves. Piedmont…
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Amaretti Cookies
Amaretti cookies, known for their crisp exterior and chewy, almond-rich interior, have roots that trace back to Renaissance Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. Their name comes from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter,” a nod to the use of bitter almonds or apricot kernels in the original recipes. These cookies were traditionally made by nuns and…
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Pizzelle Cookies
Pizzelle cookies have their origins in the Abruzzo region of Italy, dating back hundreds of years as one of the country’s oldest traditional cookies. These thin, crisp waffle-like cookies were originally made using simple ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and anise or vanilla for flavor. Traditionally, pizzelle were cooked on a special iron press over an open flame,…
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Italian Sandwich Cookies
Italian sandwich cookies, known for their rich fillings nestled between tender cookies, have roots that vary across Italy’s diverse regions, each with its own take on this beloved treat. These cookies likely evolved from simple European filled pastries and biscuits, gaining popularity during the Renaissance when sweetened creams, jams, and nut pastes became widely used in desserts. In Italy, regions…
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Italian Pignoli Cookies
Italian Pignoli cookies, famous for their chewy almond base and crunchy pine nut coating, originate from Sicily and southern Italy, where pine nuts (pignoli) have been a prized ingredient for centuries. These cookies trace their roots back to Mediterranean culinary traditions that date to ancient times, when nuts and seeds were commonly used in both sweet and savory dishes. Pignoli…
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Italian Butter Cookies
Italian butter cookies have their origins in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in areas like Veneto and Lombardy, where rich dairy products like butter have long been staples of the local cuisine. Inspired by European shortbread-style biscuits, these cookies became popular in Italy for their delicate texture, buttery flavor, and versatility. Traditionally made with simple ingredients—flour, butter, sugar, and…
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Italian Ricotta Cookies
Italian ricotta cookies have their origins in southern Italy, particularly in regions like Sicily and Calabria, where ricotta cheese has been a staple of the local diet for centuries. These soft, cake-like cookies were born out of the tradition of using fresh, local ingredients in home baking, with ricotta added to dough to create a moist, tender texture and subtle…
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Italian Rainbow Cookie
Italian rainbow cookies, also known as tricolore or seven-layer cookies, originated in Italian-American communities in the early 20th century, rather than in Italy itself. Created by Italian immigrants in the United States, these colorful confections were designed to honor the Italian flag with layers of green, white, and red almond-flavored sponge cake, typically separated by thin layers of apricot or…
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Molasses Chewy Cookies
Molasses chewy cookies have their origins in early American baking, with roots tracing back to the colonial era when molasses was a common and affordable sweetener, especially in New England. Derived from sugarcane or sugar beet processing, molasses was widely used in baked goods, giving cookies a deep, rich flavor and soft, moist texture. These cookies evolved from traditional English…
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