Biscotti cookies, or riscotti cookies as my family calls them, are one of our favorite holiday cookies. Similar to a sugar cookies, they are flavored with a hint of anise for a wonderful flavorful treat. Topped with a delicious icing, I know they will become your families favorite too!
Riscotti cookies might be something only my family will understand since we kind of made up the name! Riscotti cookies are also called biscotti cookies. Either way, they are delicious!
How To Make Biscotti Cookies
Scroll down to get the full recipe!
Combine: Cream together the sugar, butter and shortening and add the eggs one at a time before adding the anise extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and then chill the dough.
Prep: Preheat the oven. Cut the dough into slices and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake: Bake the cookies until set and slightly golden.
Finish: Let the cookies cool, pour over the icing and finish with sprinkles.
What is a biscotti cookie?
This is a cross between a sugar cookie and a ball cookie, but with the added touch of anise extract. The sweet icing finishes these cookies perfectly and I can never resist a few sprinkles!
These cookies are so festive and fun. They will always be the cookie that makes me think of Christmas, but they would also be perfect for so many events. Decorated this way would be so cute for a birthday party.
How do you store them?
Be sure to let the icing completely set before transferring the biscotti cookies to an airtight container. Because these aren’t soft cookies, they will keep well for about a week. You can also freeze the un iced cookies on a baking sheet and transfer them to freezer bags.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Be sure to let the dough chill before you bake the cookies. This will prevent them from spreading too much when baked.
- The biscotti cookies are baked when they are very lightly golden. Take care not to over bake them.
- Don’t ice the cookies until they have completely cooled.
- If you plan on freezing the biscotti cookies, don’t ice them.
I hope your family enjoys these as much as ours!!! Enjoy!
More Cookie Recipes:
- Fudgy Brownie Cookies Recipe (2 Ways!)
- Best No Bake Cookies (Chocolate Peanut Butter)
- Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe
- Loaded Chocolate Chip Giant Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients:
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Butter - unsalted - room temp.
- 1/2 cup Crisco Shortening
- 3 Eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon Anise Extract - add a little more if desired or substitute with Almond Extract
- 3 cup Flour
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
Icing Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Butter 2 sticks
- 1/2 cup Milk at least 2%
- 2 1/2 cup Powder Sugar - sifted
Instructions
!Cookie Directions:
- Cream together sugar, butter and shortening for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at-a-time - mixing well after each egg.
- Add the Anise Extract and mix well - about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once to the sugar mixture.
- Beat just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- *Add 1 T. of milk if the mixture is too dry*
- This should make into a soft dough.
- Separate the dough into thirds of fourths and roll into long ropes 2-3 inches across.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours of overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Take the dough ropes out of the fridge and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.
- Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees until set and a little golden on the bottom.
- Take out of the oven and place the cookies onto cooling racks.
- Let cool completely, then ice.
!Icing Directions:
- Melt the Butter in the top of a double-boiler or in a heat-proof bowl which has been placed over a smaller saucepan.
- Add the Milk and Vanilla stirring constantly until the mixture is hot.
- Once the mixture is hot, add the Powdered Sugar.
- Mix or whisk until the consistency is smooth.
- Being very careful, remove the icing from the heat. (Using a hot-pad, hold the pan or bowl with the icing in it with one hand and wipe the water/steam off the bottom with a towel - you don't want your cookies accidentally getting wet.)
- Dip each cookie into the icing and place on a cooling rack. (Place aluminum foil under the rack, so clean-up is easier.)
- Sprinkle with Christmas or party sprinkles or coarse sugar while still wet.
- I usually will dip eight cookies, then sprinkle them before they dry.
- Let set overnight or at least for several hours until completely dry.
- Store in an airtight container.
- These freeze beautifully.
- ENJOY!!
Notes
- Be sure to let the dough chill before you bake the cookies. This will prevent them from spreading too much when baked.
- The biscotti cookies are baked when they are very lightly golden. Take care not to over bake them.
- Don't ice the cookies until they have completely cooled.
- If you plan on freezing the cookies, don't ice them.
That is so neat to hear! THey’re a favorite. Happy holidays!
Your Mom is right and her Italian friend must not be from Southern Italy. My Nonnie was from Palermo and she made cookies very similar. She too called them risotti too. She made them totally by hand in very large batches. We rolled them into shaped baked them once and then put icing on them. They are not baked twice.
that sounds awesome with the apricot and white chocolate! we will have to try that! thanks so much for stopping by :)
I think this sounds sooo good. My husband is Italian and I think this is something his mom use to make with almond flavoring. I also think they used the dough of 2 cookies, filled with apricot, and dipped on side into white chocolate. Thanks for this recipe and all the hard work involved in blogging.
There is no better Christmas cookie than this.