Description
Panettone Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic Italian holiday bread, featuring a rich, buttery dough packed with candied orange peel, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips. These cookies are baked to golden perfection and finished with a decadent white chocolate dip and sprinkled with almonds and dried apricots for an elegant and festive treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 3/4 cups (330 g) OO flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 3 tablespoons almond slices, plus more for sprinkling
- 3 tablespoons candied orange peel
- 3 tablespoons dried black currants
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped dried apricots, plus more for sprinkling
- 3 tablespoons semisweet mini chocolate chips
Decoration
- 10 ounces white chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. This creates the creamy base for your cookie dough.
- Combine Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add egg yolks and beat to combine thoroughly. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Slowly add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed just until the ingredients come together. Then add the milk and orange extract and beat to combine evenly. Fold in almonds, candied orange peel, dried black currants, chopped dried apricots, and mini chocolate chips, distributing the mix-ins throughout the dough.
- Shape and Chill the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a long piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into two logs, each weighing approximately 16 ounces, measuring about 9 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, to firm up the dough for slicing.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Slice and Bake: Slice the chilled dough logs into rounds just over 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 1 inch apart to allow for spreading. Bake the cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking for even color. Cookies should be golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks.
- Melt and Dip in White Chocolate: In a medium heatproof bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 10-second increments, stirring between each until smooth and fully melted. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate, then place back on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with additional almond slices and finely chopped dried apricots for a beautiful finish.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for smooth creaming with sugar.
- If you do not have OO flour (Italian double zero flour), all-purpose flour can be used as a substitute.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent cookies from sticking and for easier cleanup.
- Refrigerating the dough logs is crucial to achieve clean slices and uniformly baked cookies.
- Be cautious when melting white chocolate to avoid burning; stir frequently.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week; they also freeze well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Panettone Cookies, Italian cookies, festive cookies, holiday cookies, candied fruit cookies, white chocolate dipped cookies
