Italian S Cookies

There’s a good reason why Italian S Cookies are such a popular recipe in Italy! These simple but delicious Italian cookies are ideal dunked in a coffee for breakfast or enjoyed on their own as part of a cookie platter or afternoon tea. 

So it’s time to preheat the oven – you’re going to want to bake my easy Italian S Cookies! It takes less than 30 minutes!

My S Cookie recipe uses regular pantry ingredients that I’m sure you’ll have on hand. But these cookies don’t taste boring! Like my Lemon Yogurt cake, they are loaded with fragrant lemon, and delicious vanilla and sweetened with just the right amount of sugar. 

Some say that the S in Italian S Cookies or biscotti esse (as they are known in Italy) stands for Sicily, where they originated. But, it could also stand for the scrumptious, sweet, satisfying or seriously crispy cookie that they are!

I know that you’ll love that these tasty cookies are considered breakfast food in Italy! All you need is a warm mug of milky coffee, a fresh batch of my Italian S Cookies and you’ll be transported to an Italian breakfast table. Just like my Lemon Biscotti or Almond Biscotti, these cookies are so dunkable – you won’t be able to stop at one!

Why you’ll love this recipe:-

• They are the perfect Italian breakfast cookies to dunk into your morning coffee.
• This recipe is so simple and includes only basic ingredients (that you probably already have on hand).
• You don’t need any fancy mixers or equipment to make these cookies.
• These cookies are a guaranteed crowd pleaser amongst kids and adults. 

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour – regular plain flour is required for this recipe. 
• Sugar – I recommend granulated sugar (also known as castor sugar or superfine)
• Butter – Unsalted butter is best for this recipe, but if you only have salted butter, feel free to use it (just don’t add the additional salt). Traditionally lard was used instead of butter, so you can easily substitute it if you like. 
• Eggs – Large, free range eggs are always my preference for baking. 
• Vanilla extract – Good quality vanilla extract is best for this recipe. Be careful not to use vanilla essence, a synthetic and lower quality vanilla flavor. 
• Lemon zest – Just the zest of a lemon is needed to flavor the dough. When you are zesting the lemon, take care not to grate the bitter white pith. 
• Salt – Regular fine salt is required for this recipe. 

Instructions

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.

1. Rub the flour and butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, lemon zest salt.
3. Use a fork to beat the eggs and gradually bring in and incorporate the flour mixture. Use your hand to bring the dough together and form a ball.
4. Roll small portions of the dough into a thin log and shape it into an “S”.

Place on lined baking sheets and bake until golden brown. 

Substitutions

• You can easily substitute lard for the butter.
• If you only have salted butter, you can use it instead, but be sure not to add the additional salt.
• Instead of lemon zest, you can use a few drops of food grade lemon oil or lemon extract.

Variations 

• Makes these Italian S Cookies orange flavored, by using orange zest instead of lemon zest. 
• You could make these spiced S Cookies by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or a few drops of almond extract.
• Try dipping one end of the cooled cookies into melted dark chocolate for a traditional finish.
• Give these cookies a shiny finish by brushing them with an egg wash before baking. 

Storage

These Italian S Cookies will keep well in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If you’d like to make them in advance, you can freeze the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container, with parchment paper in between to keep the layers from sticking. 

When you are ready to enjoy them, remove the container from the freezer and let it come down to room temperature. Alternatively, you could pop the cookies into a hot oven for a few minutes to refresh them. 

Tips for success

• I recommend using cold butter when you are mixing the butter into the flour. You want the consistency of wet sand, not dough. To achieve this, use your just fingertips; your warm palms will melt the butter. You could use an electric mixer and pastry blender if you have particularly hot hands. 
• Please be sure not to over knead the cookie dough as it will become tough. 
• If you live in a particularly hot climate, you might need to pop the dough into the refrigerator for a short time so that it doesn’t become sticky. If the dough is particularly sticky add a little extra flour to bring it to the correct consistency.

FAQ

Serving

Typically Italian S Cookies are breakfast cookies that are excellent served with a coffee alongside my Nutella Bread for Spanish Almond Cake. Otherwise, you could serve them on a Christmas cookie platter with my Italian Sesame Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies or Lemon Biscotti. 

Made this recipe?
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