Italian Bakery Style Butter Cookie

Prep

1.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Combine dry ingredients

1. Blend the salt and flour in a medium bowl and set aside 

Cream the butter and sugar

1.  In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed for at least 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute until smooth.

   Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed and adding 1 cup at a time until combined. The dough should be soft and smooth.

Adjust the dough consistency with milk.

1. Add one tablespoon of milk to make the dough soft and pipeable. If the dough still seems too stiff to pipe easily, add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough reaches a very soft, pipeable consistency that can hold its shape.

Pipe the cookies

1. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as Ateco 869). Then, pipe 2-inch strips onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each strip. You should be able to fit 12-15 cookies on each sheet. Next, cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and chill the piped cookies for 1 hour to help them hold their shape during baking.

Bake and cool the cookies

1. Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes until the edges and bottoms are golden for a crisp texture. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and decorating. Do not underbake; you want golden brown bottoms and edges.

Fill and assemble the cookies

1. Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a thin layer (about ¼ teaspoon) of raspberry jam on the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to form sandwiches, pressing gently to spread the jam evenly without it oozing out.

Dip in chocolate and decorate

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth and fully melted. Dip one end of each cookie sandwich into the melted chocolate and lay them on parchment paper. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with your choice of sprinkles for a festive touch. Allow the cookies to cool on the parchment until the chocolate hardens completely.