Piped buttery S cookies with visible star-tip ridges and one end dipped in dark chocolate.
Italian Esse Cookies
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 157 minutes: 35 hands-on, 30 chilling or resting, 32 whole-batch cooking and 60 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale and US measures
- Electric mixer
- Fine sieve
- Sturdy piping bag
- 1/2-inch open-star piping tip
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Microwave-safe bowl
Piped buttery S cookies with visible star-tip ridges and one end dipped in dark chocolate.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Make pipeable dough
- 1Make pipeable doughBeat soft butter with powdered sugar until creamy. Mix in egg, vanilla and salt, scraping the bowl. Sift flour with potato starch and mix in briefly. Dough should be thick but push smoothly through a large tip; allow it to soften briefly if it is too cold.
Pipe and chill
- 2Pipe and chillFit a sturdy piping bag with a 1/2-inch open-star tip. Pipe 24 compact S shapes, about 3 inches long, using roughly 23 g dough each, on two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch sheets. Leave 2 inches between shapes. Refrigerate both sheets 30 minutes.
Bake sequentially
- 3Bake sequentiallyHeat oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Bake one sheet at a time 13–16 minutes, 32 minutes for both. Look for set ridges and light gold at the outer curves. Rest 10 minutes on the sheet, then rack-cool 20 minutes.
Dip one end
- 4Dip one endGently melt chocolate in short microwave bursts, about 3 minutes included in active time. Dip one end of each cold S into chocolate, scrape excess against the bowl and set on parchment for 30 minutes. Total cooling and setting is 60 minutes.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
A large open-star tip is essential; a narrow decorating tip makes the dough difficult to pipe.
Technique & texture
Pipe before chilling; cold dough can split the bag.
Finishing & serving
This piped pastry style is distinct from Burano's hand-rolled S-shaped cookies.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 4 days | Keep airtight in a cool room with parchment protecting dipped ends. |
| Refrigeration | Only if room is warm | Keep tightly sealed and let the closed box warm before opening. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze piped unbaked shapes, pack once firm, and thaw covered in the refrigerator. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze undipped cookies in a rigid airtight container. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Thaw sealed and add chocolate after thawing. |
Notes
- A large open-star tip is essential; a narrow decorating tip makes the dough difficult to pipe. Pipe before chilling; cold dough can split the bag. This piped pastry style is distinct from Burano's hand-rolled S-shaped cookies. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
THE COOKIE INDEXITALIANCHRISTMAS COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my ridges disappear?
Butter may have been melted or the piped cookies too warm. Chill shapes before baking.
Is this the Burano S recipe?
No. This is the piped butter-cookie style; the separate bussolai recipe uses a yolk-rich hand-shaped dough.
Will the chocolate stay glossy?
Simple melted chocolate can set matte. A glossy professional finish would require tempering.
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