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A close up cropped image of Italian abbracci cookies on a cooling rack.
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Italian Abbracci Cookies (chocolate and cream)

Use the camera icon to toggle the step by step photos on and off. Italian abbracci cookies made with a buttery cream, vanilla and chocolate dough. They're crumbly, delicious and perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time19 minutes
chilling time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 39 minutes
Course: cookies
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 40 cookies
Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • Kitchen scale
  • Plastic wrap (cling film)
  • silicone spatula
  • Mixing bowls
  • Baking tray
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

Base dough

  • 185 g (13 tablespoons) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 130 g (2/3 cup) caster sugar (superfine) or use granulated
  • 2 teaspoons runny honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large egg yolks (at room temperature)
  • 1 large egg (at room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Panna (cream) dough

  • 210 g (1 1/2 cups) Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream (double cream UK)

Cocoa dough

  • 30 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) cocoa powder
  • 180 g (1 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon) Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)

Instructions

To make the dough

  • First, put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat them together until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
    Two photos in a collage showing butter and sugar creamed together in a mixer and eggs being slowly added.
  • Whisk the whole egg and 2 egg yolks together in a small bowl, then with the mixer running slowly, pour the eggs in one third at a time, letting the mixture absorb the egg before adding more.
  • Once the egg is fully incorporated, add the baking powder, vanilla, honey and a pinch of salt. Mix until just combined.
    Two photos in a collage showing honey , baking powder and vanilla being added and the mixture on a kitchen scale.
  • Put a large mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and weigh the whole mixture. Use a spatula to scrape out as much as possible. Once you know the weight of the whole mixture, divide the mixture in half into two separate mixing bowls.
  • Add the 30g cocoa powder and 180g flour to one mixing bowl and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and 210g flour to the other mixing bowl.
    Two photos in a collage showing two separate cookies doughs in two bowls.
  • Working with one batch of dough at a time, use a fork to mix the dough until large crumbs form. Then use your hands to bring the dough together and shape it into a large disc.
    Two photos showing the before and after of bring the chocolate cookie dough together.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
    Two photos showing the panna (cream) cookie dough coming together.

Shape the cookies

  • Once the cookie dough is chilled and firm, remove it from the fridge. Cut a small piece of cocoa dough and weigh out 10g, then roll it into a small ball. Do the same with the panna dough, so you have one 10g ball of each.
    Two photos in a collage showing two cookie doughs wrapped in plastic wrap and weighing out one 10g piece.
  • Next, roll each ball into a small log around 2.5 inches (6cm) in length. Shape each one into a ‘C’ shape, then gently place the panna dough over the cocoa dough at the ends and press down to join them together to create the classic abbracci shape.
    Two photos in a collage showing the cookies dough rolled into balls and then small logs ready to shape into cookies.
  • Arrange the cookies on a lined baking tray about 1/2 inch apart, then refrigerate them for 20 minutes. I usually do this in batches to save space.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to overlap the two doughs to create a classic abbracci cookie.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 170℃/340℉ conventional (static).
    Two photos showing before and after baking the abbracci cookies.
  • Once chilled, bake the cookies for 19 minutes. Let them cool in the tray, then move to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Storage: The cookies will keep well in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
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