Description
Italian Wedding Cookies are delicate, buttery almond cookies coated in powdered sugar. Toasted almonds are finely ground and mixed into a soft dough, then baked to a light golden perfection. These melt-in-your-mouth treats are perfect for festive occasions or as a sweet snack with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
Almonds
- 1 cup raw almonds
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup powdered sugar (plus extra for coating)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Toast the almonds: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the raw almonds evenly on a baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes or until they turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
- Grind almonds: Place the cooled almonds into a food processor and pulse until finely ground, but not turned into almond flour.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the room temperature unsalted butter together with ½ cup powdered sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, incorporating plenty of air.
- Add vanilla and salt: Stir in the vanilla extract and salt to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly.
- Incorporate flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Fold in ground almonds: Stir the finely ground almonds evenly into the dough, ensuring they are well distributed.
- Shape cookies: Roll the dough into small balls about the size of 1 tablespoon each. Place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.
- Cool and coat: Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet, then roll them in powdered sugar while still warm. Once completely cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar for a classic snowy coating.
Notes
- Ensure almonds are cooled completely before grinding to prevent oily dough.
- You can substitute raw almonds with blanched almonds if preferred for a smoother texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and prevent them from becoming stale.
- For gluten-free variation, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Be careful not to overbake – cookies should remain tender and slightly crumbly.
- Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar twice gives a beautiful snow-like finish typical of Italian Wedding Cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
