Domenica Marchetti's "Italian Cookies"

                     Biscotti Della Nonna

When Christmas rolled around last year, I made only one type of cookie -- pizzelle. That was a distinct departure from how I approached holiday baking in years past, when I made at least a half dozen different types of cookies. But here it is nearly Easter and I baked three different cookies over the weekend. Why? Because I couldn't resist the recipes in my friend Domenica Marchetti's newest cookbook, "Italian Cookies." 

This beautiful book is in pre-order right now and scheduled for release in a couple of weeks. After receiving an advance copy, I couldn't resist trying some of the recipes immediately. Well, I should add that immediately was relative -- because I first got drawn to the writing in the book and clung to each well-written story in the text. That's understandable given Domenica's background as a journalist before she became a cookbook writer.

Domenica Marchetti (photo credit Lauren Volo)

I got lost in the pages, reading about the history of some of the cookies, which span the entire Italian peninsula. The recipe for crumbly sbrisolona took me back to a shop in Castell'Arquato, where I used to buy that treat, near my mother's hometown in Emilia Romagna. The story about the Biscottificio Artigianato Innocenti brought back memories of when we lived around the corner from that bakery in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood and I would often stop in for a treat. The recipe for serpette made me long for those "S" shaped cookies I would buy whenever in Frascati. There are so many more recipes that jogged such sweet memories that I know I'll be dipping into the book for more reasons than just to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

              Chifferi Alla Nocciola

There is no disputing Domenica's authority on Italian cooking either, growing up in a household where her Italian parents took her to the homeland each summer to spend time with relatives in Abruzzo. It's where deep roots took hold in the kitchens of aunts and other relatives. "I have been baking Italian cookies ever since I was a young girl and my mom put my sister and me to work at the kitchen table shelling nuts for her Christmas cookies and other holiday bakes."

When asked how long it took to do the research for the book, she replied "The earnest research for this book started around 2018 when I had my first taste of a butter cookie from Liguria called canestrelleti di Torriglia. I started down an Italian cookie rabbit hole and over the next several years collected recipes and stories.  2023 and 2024 especially were filled with travel all over the boot in search of book material."

 Occhi Di Santa Lucia

Some of the recipes are quite familiar to me and have long been my favorites, like the crunchy chiacchiere for Carnevale, or the decadent baci di dama from Piedmont. But many are new to me, like the rhomboid-shaped caviadini from Lombardy or the pabassinas (iced raisin cookies) from Sardinia.

It was hard to decide where to start, but I chose the three cookies in the photos. The biscotti della nonna are destined to be on rotation here, since they are made with olive oil, and I'm trying to cook more heart-healthy foods for my husband and me. They are also great dunkers, as my husband can attest. "This book is dangerous," he said.

But those butter-laden chifferi alla nocciola are downright addictive with the fine hazelnut flavor and generous dusting of confectioner's sugar. They're quite similar to cookies that are known by other names, like Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican wedding cookies. If you love anise flavoring, try the occhi di Santa Lucia, those adorable knots covered in a sugary glaze. Domenica confided that while baking all the cookies in the book, she did not gain weight. "I shared with neighbors, sent some off to the office with my husband, froze some, and ate some. That's the beautiful thing about cookies. They are a small indulgence."

Fortunately, I had a meeting at my house last night and was able to spread the wealth to my committee members. I'd better freeze the rest though, before I end up having to loosen my belt another notch.

I've included the recipe for the biscotti della nonna below, but you'll have to wait until the official release on April 14 for the others. It's a great reference you'll definitely want in your cookbook collection and a wonderful gift too.

Biscotti Della Nonna

(From Domenica Marchetti's "Italian Cookies")

Makes 10 large or 20 medium cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to coat your hands

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

zest of 1 small orange (I used a large orange), about 2 teaspoons

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Cinnamon Sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine the sugar, egg, olive oil and milk in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk or a hand mixer. Whisk in the vanilla extract and orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour this into the egg mixture and fold everything together with a large spatula until thoroughly combined. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl and let it rest briefly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

To make the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Lightly coat your hands with a little olive oil. Pinch off gold ball-size pieces of dough and roll them into ovals or circles. Pat them down to flatten them a bit; they should be about 1/2 inch thick. If you want to weigh for accuracy, each piece should weigh slightly under 2 ounces. Coat both sides of each oval or circle in cinnamon sugar and place them on the baking sheet, taking care to leave about 1 inch of space between them.

Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. They should be puffed and set, with some light cracking on the surface. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; then transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.