Italian Bakery-Style Shortbread Cookies (Frolla Montata)
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These delicate Italian Shortbread Cookies (known as “Pasta Frolla”) are a lighter, more refined take on traditional piped cookies. With their almost snow-white appearance and tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture created by a unique ratio of cornstarch and flour, they’re perfect for decorating and absolutely impossible to resist!
If you love with my Italian Butter Cookies recipe, you might notice these shortbread beauties looking like close cousins – but they’re distinctly different in all the right ways. Where rollout butter cookies are more dense and have that signature egg-rich golden color, these shortbread cookies offer a more delicate experience.
Whether you’re making these for a special occasion or just because it’s Tuesday, they’re guaranteed to bring a touch of European elegance to your cookie jar. And if you love these, don’t forget to check out my Italian Rainbow Cookies and Amaretti recipes for more Italian cookie inspiration!
Why Make These?
- Bakery-Quality at Home: These cookies look like they came from a professional Italian pasticceria, but you can make them in your own kitchen
- Versatile Design Options: Pipe them into classic rosettes, wreaths, or your own creative shapes
- Perfect Gift-Giving Cookie: Their sturdy yet delicate nature makes them ideal for cookie boxes and gifts
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The dough can be piped and frozen for up to 3 months
- Customizable Finishes: From chocolate dips to sprinkles to cherries, these cookies are a blank canvas for your creativity
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Temperature is important here. Too soft and your cookies will spread; too firm and they won’t pipe smoothly
- Cornstarch: The secret to that signature “melt-in-your-mouth” texture. Don’t skip it!
- All-Purpose Flour: Use a middle-protein flour (like Gold Medal or King Arthur) for best results
- Eggs: Must be at room temperature to properly emulsify into the butter mixture
- Vanilla: Pure extract makes a difference in these simple cookies where every flavor shines
Method Overview
This recipe follows a classic creaming method. The magic happens in the initial butter-sugar creaming phase – a full 7-9 minutes of beating creates the light, airy texture that makes these cookies special. The dough then comes together quickly before being piped into beautiful shapes.
Tips & Techniques
- Temperature Matters: Everything should be at cool room temperature – especially the butter. Too warm and your cookies will spread; too cold and they won’t pipe properly
- Don’t Rush the Creaming: Those 7-9 minutes of beating butter and sugar are non-negotiable. This creates the structure that gives these cookies their perfect texture
- Secure Your Paper: Don’t skip anchoring your parchment paper to the baking sheet – there’s nothing more frustrating than having it slip while you’re trying to pipe perfect shapes
- Piping Technique: Only fill your piping bag halfway for better control. Keep consistent pressure for evenly sized cookies
- Watch the Color: These cookies should be barely golden at the edges. Even a minute too long can affect their delicate texture
- Cooling is Critical: Let them cool completely before dipping in chocolate or moving to storage containers
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
📖 Recipe
Italian Shortbread Cookies (Bakery Style)
Equipment
- standing mixer or hand mixer
- piping bag with large star tip
- parchment paper or silpat
- cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (312 g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (64 g) cornstarch
- 2 grams (1/3 tsp) salt
To Decorate
- chocolate chips with a splash of cream or teaspoon of coconut oil Melt in microwave over short bursts 20 seconds or so and stir very well between.
- chopped nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils
- maraschino cherries dried off (or they will bleed into the cookie)
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Ensure your butter is at cool room temperature, between 65-68°F, for optimal results.
- In your mixer, beat the butter alone for 2-3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar gradually and continue beating for 5-7 minutes until the mixture becomes extremely light, pale, and fluffy. Remember to scrape down the bowl several times during this process.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl again to ensure even mixing.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to your butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix once the flour is added.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Important: Secure your parchment paper to the baking sheet using a tiny bit of dough in each corner (or use a silpat) to prevent it from moving while piping.
- Pipe rosettes or your preferred shape onto the prepared baking sheets. I find it easier to pipe if the bag is, at most, half full. If you make floral shapes, add half a maraschino cherry (dried off so they don't bleed) in the center of each one. You can also decorate with sprinkles or nonpareils.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are just barely golden at the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Optional: Dip in melted chocolate as desired after cooling and sprinkle with nuts or sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.