Italian Wedding Cookies

4.79 from 14 votes

A tender, buttery shortbread cookie that is easy and fun to make. These cookies are not just for weddings, they can be made for any occasion.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian Wedding Cookies

Servings: dozen

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

for the cookies

1 cup almonds 114 grams
1 cup butter softened (2 sticks or 226 grams)
1 cup powdered sugar 124 grams
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour 280 grams
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¾ teaspoons salt

Sugar coating

2 ½ cups powdered sugar 312 grams

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir half way through the baking time to ensure they are toasted evenly. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until they are finely ground to the consistency of cornmeal. Do not over-process them or you will have nut butter.
Add the butter and powdered sugar. Pulse several times, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the mixture looks smooth and creamy.
Add the flour, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Process until the dough comes together in a clump, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
(If you’d rather portion it first, roll the soft dough into 1½ teaspoon balls, place them on a tray, and chill for 6 hours).
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar in a large bowl or pie plate and set aside. You will use this later to coat the cookies.
Roll 1½-teaspoon portions of dough into small balls and place them about an inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are pale golden. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 3 to 5 minutes, just until they’re cool enough to handle but still warm.
Transfer the warm cookies directly to the powdered sugar and roll them to cover completely with the sugar. Set aside to cool completely (the powdered sugar will melt into the hot cookies and look goopy).
After completely cooled, roll the cookies once more in the powdered sugar.

Video

Notes

Double sugar coating: Roll the cookies in confectioners’ sugar twice for that thick, snowy finish. For the first coating, roll the cookies while they’re still warm; the sugar will melt a bit and look goopy. Let the cookies cool completely, then roll them a second time. This final coat sets into a bright-white, even layer that stays put instead of soaking in.

Make-ahead option. You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Or chill as portioned dough balls: If you’d rather shape the cookies first, roll the dough into 1½-teaspoon balls while it’s still soft (it’s much easier to work with at this stage), then chill the dough balls for 6 hours. Bake straight from the fridge.

Don’t turn the almonds into almond butter. Pulse just until they look like coarse cornmeal. If they start clumping or looking shiny, you’re seconds away from nut butter.

Scrape the bowl as needed. If the dough looks sandy or isn’t coming together, stop and scrape down the sides, then pulse again. Food processors love hiding dry flour in the corners.

Storage. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for about a week. If the sugar looks a little absorbed after a few days, give them a quick reroll in fresh powdered sugar before serving.

Freezing tips: Freeze wrapped dough (or dough balls) for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp and reroll in powdered sugar if you want them extra white.

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