Fini Dolci

(Sweet Endings)

Holiday Cookies
and
Italian Desserts
RECIPE BOOK

T. IRVOLINO
Copyright © 2018 by Toni Irvolino
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
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The information provided within this eBook is for general informational purposes only. While we try
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information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this eBook for any purpose. Any
use of this information is at your own risk.

The methods describe within this eBook are the author’s personal thoughts. They are not intended
to be a definitive set of instructions for this project. You may discover there are other methods and
materials to accomplish the same end result.

The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within this book was
correct at time of publication. The author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any
party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or
omissions result from accident, negligence, or any other cause.

First Edition

Sun Media Group, LLC

First Ebook Publication Date: 12/2018
Cover Illustration: T. Irvolino
To contact Author, please email: sunmediagroupllc@gmail.com
 /
Enjoy our collection of
our best
Holiday Cookies and
Italian Dessert recipes.

Here are some sweet ideas

for your next get together,
cookie exchange or
gift idea.
 Nut Butter Ball Cookies
INGREDIENTS

1 cup Butter or Margarine (softened)

½ cup Granulated or Confectioners
Sugar
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Almond Extract or
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 cups All Purpose Flour (sifted)
Walnuts (optional)

Mix butter with sugar until very light and fluffy.

Add salt, extract, flour, nuts; mix well.

Refrigerate until easy to handle. (Appx. 30 min.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into one inch balls, triangles, rectangles,

crescents, etc.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15

minutes or until lightly brown.

While cookies are still warm, roll in granulated sugar or

powdered sugar, fine cookie crumbs, or cinnamon and
sugar.
 Pecan Scandia
INGREDIENTS

1 stick butter
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 lb. pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Melt 1 stick of butter in a 9x13 pan or larger

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Fold in sugar until combined.

Pour in pecan halves and stir to coat.

Pour nut mixture into pan with butter.

Bake 10 minutes, stir and salt lightly.

Bake 10 more minutes, stir and salt lightly.

Bake 10 more minutes, stir and salt lightly.

Bake 35 minutes total. Just bake the last 5 minutes.

Spread on wax paper to dry.

 Pignoli Cookies
INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp. baking powder
1 lb. almond paste (crumbled)
3 egg whites beat until stiff
4 oz. pine nuts

Grate almond paste with cheese grater or crumble into a

bowl.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

In another bowl, combine sugar and baking powder.

Mix egg whites into almond paste and then slowly add
sugar mixture. Mix until batter like consistency.

Using a teaspoon, scoop dough onto teaspoon and dip

into nuts.

With the back of a knife or another spoon, slide onto

parchment lined cookie sheet or brown paper bag.

Bake till golden, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from

oven and cool completely before removing from paper.

You can use the back of a spatula to remove from paper.

Dust with confectioners sugar.

 Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
INGREDIENTS

6 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
or your favorite flavoring
1 teaspoon salt

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, Add eggs
and vanilla, mix well. Mix dry ingredients in separate
bowl and add to butter mixture a little at a time until
completely incorporated and dough comes together.

Chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper to desired

thickness and cut into your favorite shapes.

Bake at 350° F for 8-10 minutes or until just

beginning to turn brown around the edges. Let cool.
Recipe makes 5 dozen 3" cookies.

Decorate with your favorite icing or sprinkles.

Icing recipe on last page.

FROSTING RECIPE:

2 ½ cups confectioners sugar

2 tbsp. milk
½ tsp. Anisette liquor or extract

Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, anise

extract and milk. You want the glaze to be on
the heavier side.
 Anisette Cookies
INGREDIENTS

¼ lb butter (softened)
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour

Mix butter with sugar until very light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beat well. Add vanilla, combine.

In another bowl mix salt baking powder and flour; mix

well.

Add flour mix to butter and sugar and mix until it

gathers into a ball. If dough is too moist, add a little flour.
Do not add too much.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into one inch balls, crescents, or “S”, etc.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 to 15

minutes or until lightly brown. Cool.

Dip cookies in frosting and add sprinkles while still wet.

Let stand until frosting hardens.
 Creamcheese Walnut
Cookies
INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
½ lb. butter (softened)
½ lb. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 cups All Purpose Flour (sifted)

FILLING
2 Eggs (beaten)
1½ cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs. melted butter

FOR THE DOUGH:

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add flour.
Mix and form dough into a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

FOR THE FILLING:

Mix together eggs, brown sugar, walnuts and melted but-
ter.

----------------

Take a small amount of dough and press into mini

cupcake or muffin pan. Fill each shell with ½ tsp. filling.

Bake until almost golden at 350 degrees.

When cool, spread bottom of cookie with 1½ tsp.
chocolate hazelnut spread and top with another cookie.

Repeat until all cookies have been used. Dust half the
cookie sandwiches with powdered sugar and the others
drizzle with melted chocolate.
 Shortbread Sandwich
with Hazelnut Cream
INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)

½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2¼ cups All Purpose Flour
½ cup toasted skinned hazelnuts
finely chopped
1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
room temperature (Nutella)

GARNISH:
Powdered sugar
2oz. semisweet chocolate (melted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar and salt in standing mixer untill

blended. Add flour and nuts; mix until dough just begins
to form.

Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Do not knead too much. Shape into a flat round.

Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and

roll to 1/8 in thick. Cut cookies with a 2 inch round cookie
cutter or your favorite shape.

Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart and bake 10-13

minutes until edges are golden. Cool completely.
 Italian Bow Tie Cookies
INGREDIENTS

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
3 tbs. rum
1 tbs. of confectioners’ sugar for the
pasta
¾ cup or so of confectioners’ sugar
(For sprinkling on the top of the
cookies after cooking)
1/8 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil

Mix flour, eggs, egg yolks, rum, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Mix
until all the flour is combined and able to make a dough ball.

Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough ball into fourths. Work with a quarter of the dough at
a time.

Roll out the dough paper thin.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees.

Cut strips of dough approximately 7″ long and ½″ wide. You can

knot or just leave them flat.

Carefully place the bow ties into the hot oil with a spoon. Let them
cook for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

As the bow tie cookies are draining sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl

and set aside.

Cream sugar and butter with mixer on high until light and
fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium
and add eggs one at a time, beating well
between additions.

Add ricotta, vanilla and lemon zest, and beat to

combine.

Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.

Do not overmix.

Drop dough in heaping tablespoons onto the sheet pans.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through

the baking time, until the cookies are puffed, golden and
cooked all the way through.

Remove and cool on wire racks.

When the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze.

In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and
lemon juice. Adjust the consistency with a little water or
more confectioner’s sugar to make a glaze thick enough
to stick to the cookies when dipped. Dip the tops of the
cookies in the glaze and let dry on racks.
Ricotta Cookies
INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter,
room temperature
2 eggs
8 oz. ricotta, drained
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet
with parchment paper.

Grate paste and place in bowl with the paddle

attachment of a stand mixer. Add sugar and beat,
approximately 3 to 5 minutes at medium-high speed.
This can also be done with a hand mixer.

Add egg white and salt and beat until creamy.

Place sliced almonds in a wide-shallow bowl or plate.

Have another bowl with water to get your hands wet.

Form cookies: Wet hands and scoop 1 tablespoon of

dough into palm of your hand. Roll it into a 4 in. inch log
and then roll in almonds. Place on parchment lined pan
and bend into arc shape. Press any loose almonds back
on. Repeat with remaining dough.

Remember to keep your hands wet when rolling dough.

Bake 15 minutes, or until almonds on cookies are gently

toasted and horns are puffed. Let cool completely.

Garnish: Melt chocolate in a small bowl and dip ends of

cookies into it, then return to parchment-lined tray to set.
Add sprinkles to wet chocolate (optional).
Almond Horns
INGREDIENTS

7 oz. almond paste

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white
Two pinches of sea salt
1 ¼ cup sliced almonds, blanched
6 ounces semi or dark chocolate,
chopped or in chips (about 1 cup)
(I love the Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate
melting wafers)
Colored sprinkles (optional)
 INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp grated lemon peel
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided
16 oz oil for frying*
¾ cup honey
Nonpareils for sprinkling
 Struffoli
Lightly beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, lemon
peel, vanilla extract, salt, and 1 cup of the flour and stir
until combined.

Flour a work surface and turn out dough onto it. Knead
in remaining ¼ cup of flour. The dough should only be
mildly sticky - not too much. If it's too sticky to handle,
add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches the
desired consistency.

Using a paring knife, cut dough into 10 equally-sized

sections. Roll each section into a long, thin cylinder
about ½"-thick, and slice them into approximately
½"-wide pieces.

Add oil to a pot with tall sides (about 3-qt. capacity) and
place over medium heat on the stovetop. Once oil
reaches 375°F, add about one-third of the dough balls
and allow them to fry for a few minutes, until they turn
golden-brown. Remove the struffoli from the oil and
place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb
excess oil.

Continue with the remaining two batches, placing a layer

or two of paper towels between batches. Let struffoli
cool, and then place them in a bowl.

Heat honey in a small saucepan until it's warmed and

easily pourable. Pour warmed honey over top of the
struffoli and stir to evenly coat.

Arrange struffoli on a plate in a big mound and sprinkle

nonpareils over top. Allow to cool and serve at room
temperature. Store in an airtight container at room
temperature.
Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and
fluffy about 3 minutes. Add the salt.

Combine the egg and vanilla extract together and add to

the creaming butter mixture.

Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to

incorporate well.

Add the milk and mix until combined, scrape the sides
again.

Add the sifted flour all at once and mix on low speed just
until combined.

With your Heavy Duty Pastry Bag fitted with large star tip
(or with a cookie press) pipe the dough onto
parchment lined sheet pan spaced about 1 inch apart.

If you feel that your dough is too stiff to pipe, you may
add a few tablespoons more milk to the recipe.

To avoid spreading of the dough, you may place the

sheet tray of piped cookie dough in the freezer while you
preheat the oven to 350° F.

Bake for about 12-17 minutes or until the cookies are

lightly browned on the edges.

Cool completely and fill with jams, chocolates, ganaches,

buttercream or your choice of fillings and adorn with
nuts, sprinkles of your choice.
Italian Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbs. whole milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2½ cups All Purpose Flour
¼ tsp. salt
 Royal Icing
INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons meringue
powder
4 cups (about 1 pound)
powdered sugar
6 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Food coloring

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, or

hand mixer, whisk meringue pow-
der and powdered sugar, then
slowly mix in the water and vanilla
while the mixer is running on
medium-low speed. Increase speed to medium and beat
until stiff peaks form, around 7-10 minutes.

Divide the thick white icing into individual bowls for how
ever many colors you want and add food coloring, a few
drops at a time, mixing well until you achieve the shades
you like. From there, you can reserve half of each color
at piping consistency for piping borders, or thin all the
icing to flood consistency.

To thin each color to flood consistency, add 1 teaspoon

of water at a time and stir well, continuing to add water
by ½ teaspoon increments until you reach your desired
consistency.