Italian “S” Cookies Biscotti, How to Make Them and a Trip Down Memory Lane

Italian “S” Cookies Biscotti – Delicious Childhood Memory

I just love these Italian “S” shaped cookies otherwise known as biscotti. They are lightly sweetened, taste of vanilla and anise, and are perfectly served with a cup of coffee or tea at breakfast, for snack, or for dessert. These Italian “S” Cookies are reminiscent of my childhood. Read on to find out more about these and why I think they are special.

Where Are These Cookies From?

This recipe is inspired by a cookie I was able to get as a child in a local Italian bakery. They called them biscotti and sold them by the dozen in a bag by the register. We always fondly referred to them as “S” cookies due to their distinct shape. I would beg my mother to buy a bag when we were at this bakery. These are really simple and lightly sweetened so I loved to eat them for breakfast, and Mom let me! So, since they are mom-approved, I encourage you to eat them for breakfast, too!

Celebrating Holidays with Italian Families

Have you ever celebrated a holiday with Italian or Italian-American families? Well, it is an experience! Italians are known for lively discussion, incredible food, and large families. That certainly characterized my family and our holidays. Pounds and pounds of cookies from the local bakeries were always served after holiday meals. I loved the Italian cookies, ooooh, I could eat my fill. These cookies were always a favorite. They could also be found on the table at my grandmother’s house on Sunday afternoons. We often visited her and would pick up some cookies and pastries on the way. She would provide the tea and coffee and my parents and others would sit and visit for hours while the grandkids played. Great memories.

I love half-sheet pans, they are the perfect size for one dozen cookies.

A silicone pastry brush is best for glazing these cookies with egg before cooking, they are dishwasher safe, too!

A digital kitchen scale is indispensable when baking, always weigh your ingredients for best results. A glass tempered one makes for easy clean up.

The Recipe

This recipe is a copycat version of the cookies I would get at the Italian bakery and a modified version of a recipe that my cousin Maria provided to me. Maria’s mother-in-law’s recipe was similar to one that my great grandmother used to make the traditional Easter baskets (bread formed into the shape of a basket with hard-boiled colored eggs in the shell baked into them). I hope to have a post for those Easter baskets very soon, so visit again!

Notes on Making Italian “S” Cookies

First, you may notice these cookies are made with yeast and not baking soda or baking powder. They are made similarly to bread but have the crumb of a cookie. The advantage of using the yeast is that the cookies have a smoother finish than when I used baking powder. I tested baking the powder cookies, which resulted in good flavor and crumb, but the crackled appearance of the outside of the cookies was not how I remembered them. The cookies from the bakery were perfectly browned, smooth, and shiny. So, I tested the yeast method, and I got the exact results I was hoping for. So, below, you will find this recipe uses yeast.

If you are curious why the yeast produces a smooth cookie while the powder crackled, it is because of the way that they are risen. The yeast cookies are given about 30 minutes to rise prior to baking creating a smooth puffy shape. When they are heated in the oven, they only rise a small amount more, retaining their smooth appearance. The baking powder cookies do not rise until the heat of the oven activates the powder, causing them to expand rapidly in the hot oven, cracking their surface. I preferred the smooth, brown surface of the yeast-risen cookies, so that’s the recipe I present to you below.

Flavors of These Italian “S” Cookies

I use two different extracts to create the flavor profile that I remember from my childhood – majority vanilla with a touch of anise extract. Vanilla is widely available so should not be a problem for most. If anise is something that you do not have, can not purchase, or do not like the flavor of, you can leave it out. Anise extract is made from anise seed and has a flavor profile reminiscent of black licorice. It is commonly used in Italian sweets. If you do not like the flavor of anise/black licorice, but like almond flavor more than anise, you could substitute almond extract. It’s really personal preference.

Vanilla extract gives these cookies their predominate flavor, McCormick’s extracts are readily available across the US and I trust the brand.

Anise extract gives baked goods a licorice flavor, McCormick’s extracts are readily available across the US and I trust the brand.

I prefer Fleischmann’s yeast, depending on what you can find in your area, Red Star is also a brand I trust.

I used sesame seeds on top of my cookies as a way to add some visual depth and a slightly nutty flavor, but they are not necessary. You can simply leave them off or substitute another seed, like poppy seeds, if those are more to your liking. If you want to make them more festive, you could use colorful nonpareils sprinkles. These cookies are, of course, delicious without toppings, just the milk and egg glaze is enough.

Sharing is Caring

This recipe for Italian S Cookies Biscotti makes about 12-15 cookies and are absolutely perfect for sharing. So bake up a batch, invite over a friend, brew up a pot of coffee, and indulge in some lively conversation. If you are not able to invite a friend, then just share some with a neighbor as a friendly gesture. They are sure to thank you for your thoughtfulness (we could all use some more of that)! As always, I wish you Great Bread for All – Bake One Share One. Happy baking!

Italian “S” Cookies – Biscotti

Christina

This is a copycat version of cookies I used to get at an Italian bakery near where I grew up. They are lightly sweetened, vanilla-flavored cookies, perfect for having with a cup of tea or coffee.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 15 Cookies

Calories 174 kcal

Equipment

• Digital Metric Scale
• Electric Mixer with Dough Hook and Whisk
• Baking Sheet Pan
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  

• 80 ml Milk, warmed to 100°F / 37°C (1/3 cup)
• 3 tsp Instant or Active Dry Yeast
• 2 ea Eggs
• 135 g Sugar (2/3 cup)
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Anise Flavor Extract (optional)
• 75 g Butter, melted (1/3 cup)
• 425-450 g All Purpose Flour (3¼-3½ cup)

Toppings

• 1 ea Egg
• 1 T Milk
• 2 T Sesame Seeds (optional)

Instructions

 

Scaling Ingredients

• Measure all ingredients using a digital kitchen scale.
  

Mixing

• Mix together warm milk and dry yeast until yeast is dissolved, set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and anise (if using). Mix with whisk attachment on medium high for 30 seconds.
  
• Add 1/2 cup of flour and yeast/milk mixture. Mix with whisk attachment on medium high for 30 seconds.
  
• Add melted butter and 1/2 cup of flour and mix again on medium high for 30 seconds. Switch to dough hook.
  
• Add remaining flour and mix with dough hook on level 1 for 2 minutes until coarse dough is formed. Switch to level 2 and mix for 4-5 more minutes.
  
• Dough is done mixing when it is smooth, pulls from the sides, but sticks to the bottom.
  

Bulk Fermentation

• Remove dough from mixer and knead into a smooth ball. Place ball in to a bowl sprayed with oil to prevent sticking. Cover. Allow dough to relax for 2 hours in a warm location. Hint: This dough will only rise a little bit during these two hours, that's okay, don't expect it to double like yeast-risen breads.
  

Folding

• Dump dough out on to a flat work surface.

Dividing

• Cut dough into 12-15 equal sized pieces.

Pre-Shaping

• Roll each piece of dough into a 5" long (12-13 cm) rope.
  

Makeup and Panning

• Prepare a half sheet pan (large cookie sheet) with parchment paper.
• Shape each rope into an "S" shape and place on cookie sheet.
  

Proofing

• Cover cookie sheet with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes until cookies are puffy.

Baking

• Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C
• Mix together 1 egg with 1 T of milk. Coat each cookies with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
  
• Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes until browned on top and on bottom.

Cooling

• Remove baked cookies immediately to a cooling rack. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
  

Storing

• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Can be frozen.

Keyword biscotti, cookies, Italian cookies, s cookies