Baking - Homestead for the Holidays... - Sweet Treats

Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Chocolate Italian Christmas Cookies

Delicious Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies!

These Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies are a wonderful treat for the holidays or any time of year! They are rich and buttery, with a wonderful chocolate flavor for the chocoholic in your life. 🙂

The original ‘Chocolate Biscotti’ that my Mother-in-Law used to make (and now my Sister-in-Law carries on the tradition) calls for shortening. I’m not a purist, but I try to avoid shortening. Maybe I’ll find a way to adapt that recipe and share it here. In the meantime…

I found this recipe that uses butter instead.) I don’t remember where I got the recipe…sorry! I changed quite a few things, most of which I can’t remember either. I know, I know. I’m terrible. I DO know that the original recipe called for a light frosting and I don’t frost mine. They are plenty sweet without it!

Yum!
Yum!

Make them Fair Trade!

Why did I want a recipe that uses butter instead of shortening? One…I think butter is better for you and it tastes better too. Two…shortening usually contains palm kernel oil from plantations that are causing environmental problems in Asia.

So now I purchase fair trade cocoa powder and chocolate chips from a buying club, and I avoid shortening. You can do the same with your baking this year. Check out the products for sale at Azure Standard buying club (#ad) check at your grocery store, or go online and search for fair trade chocolate. And replace your shortening with butter whenever possible. 🙂

Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookie Recipe

Here is the recipe for these delicious, chocolatey cookies! You can make these ahead and freeze them for a couple of weeks if you like.

Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Rich, buttery chocolate cookies that are wonderful for the holidays or any time of year!
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups unbleached flour
  • 4 tsps baking powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips or substitute walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Sift flour twice, add baking powder, sugar, cocoa, and cloves. Sift again and combine thoroughly.
  • In a separate bowl, cream 1 cup butter. Slowly blend in flour mixture.
  • Add 1/3 cup milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Mix with hands to the consistency of pie crust.
  • Roll 1 teaspoon of dough between hands to form a ball for each cookie. Place on a greased cookie sheet, do not flatten.
  • Bake at 375 F for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a cookie rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Make a Plate of These Cookies to Share!

I like making cookies to share with friends, family, our neighbor…pretty much anyone I know…especially around Christmas! These cookies are definitely worthy of a spot on your cookie tray.

Make a couple of batches ahead of time to reduce your last-minute stress levels during the holidays. I know nothing about holiday stress, lol…do you?

Are you making Christmas cookies this year? What is your favorite kind? Leave a comment!

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Chocolate Italian Christmas Cookies

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26 Comments on “Italian Chocolate Christmas Cookies

  1. Thanks for the invite, Lisa. I added the cookie recipe you mentioned #49, but it is a sponsored post so may not qualify. Two more items were also added.
    Merry Christmas

  2. Lisa, I always buy Fair Trade cocoa, chocolate and coffee. So glad to see that mentioned here! I don’t have holiday recipes but, rather, recipes that I favor in winter and just call winter recipes. And always butter, never shortening!

    1. Hi Jean!
      That’s wonderful! Thank you for choosing fair trade and butter! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your shortbread recipes…yum!

  3. Yum! These are going on my list. I hope to make a couple of batches to add to my Christmas baskets that I make for our grown children. I won’t be adding the frosting either.
    Thanks for sharing this recipe with us – I look forward to making them.
    🙂

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