Best Italian Wedding Cookies: The Brown Butter Secret

Every December, my counter looks like a little blizzard hit it, powdered sugar on the board, almonds on the tray, and the sweet promise of a cookie tin coming together. These italian wedding cookies are the ones I always reach for first, those snowy “snowballs” that crumble softly and taste like buttery shortbread.

This version is for anyone who’s ever bitten into a bland batch and thought, “That’s it?” My brown butter and toasted anisette enhancement turns the usual into something fragrant, nutty, and quietly elegant, perfect for holidays, showers, and yes, weddings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Brown butter depth: I brown the butter until it smells like toasted hazelnuts, and suddenly the cookie tastes grown-up, not just sweet.

The anisette bridge: A little brandy gives that old-school Italian bakery perfume, the kind that lifts the powdered sugar sweetness instead of fighting it.

Melt-away texture: The fat-to-flour balance lands in that tender shortbread zone, where the bite disappears almost before you chew.

Foolproof shape: With cool room temperature butter and the creaming method, these bake up round and proud, never puddly.

Ingredients and Substitutions

These are classic pantry ingredients, but the way you treat the butter and almonds is where the magic lives. Keep everything measured, and let aroma guide you as much as the timer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (227 grams) salted butter at cool room temperature
• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mls) brandy
• ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
• 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose (plain) flour
• 1 cup (150 grams) whole almonds
• 1 cup powdered sugar for coating

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Whole almonds: Toasting whole nuts and grinding them yourself keeps their oils aromatic and fresh. Almond flour can work in a pinch, but you lose those rustic little chunks that make the bite interesting.

Salted butter: I prefer salted here because the cookies get a heavy snowfall of confectioners’ sugar, and that hint of salt keeps the finish from tasting flat.

Brandy: Brandy gives warmth and a gentle floral lift. If you want a more pronounced anise note, Sambuca can stand in for the same measure, and it leans more “Italian wedding hall dessert table.”

Almond extract optional: If your almonds are deeply toasted and fragrant, you can skip it. If you love that classic bakery aroma, the small amount rounds everything out.

Nut swaps: Pecans or walnuts give a Mexican wedding cookie vibe, still delicious with the same method. The dough feel stays similar, but the flavor turns darker and more caramel-like.

How to Make italian wedding cookies

Toast and prep the almonds

1. Preheat oven to 320ºF/160ºC and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
2. Spread the almonds out onto a baking sheet and toast for 5-8 minutes, watching closely so they do not burn. When your kitchen smells sweet and nutty, pull them out and let them cool.
3. Pulse the cooled almonds in a food processor until mostly fine with some larger chunks, then set aside. Those little pieces are the difference between “nice” and “memorable.”

The brown butter enhancement, then back to soft-solid

Brown the butter until it foams and turns golden-brown with a nutty aroma, then chill it until it returns to a soft solid, about 65°F, before you cream it. That re-solidifying step is what keeps the cookies from spreading.

Cream, combine, and shape

1. Beat butter, granulated white sugar, brandy and almond extract (if using) until well combined and creamy.
2. Stir in flour and finely chopped almonds and mix with your fingers until well combined.
3. Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls (about the size of a small walnut) and place on the prepared baking sheet allowing a bit of room for spreading.

Bake, cool properly, then snow them

1. Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly puffed and pale golden.
2. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool. Don’t coat with powdered sugar until they are cooled to barely warm otherwise the sugar will melt and end up a sticky mess. By barely warm, I mean almost fully cooled!
3. Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl and roll cookies to coat. Store in an airtight container with baking paper between the layers.
4. Before serving, dust with more powdered sugar for a snowy coating.

Secrets for the Perfect Melt-Away Texture

Temperature control: Cool room temperature butter, around 65°F, is non-negotiable for shape. That same “not too warm, not too cold” discipline matters in butter cream frosting texture and stability.

Sugar science: Granulated sugar goes into the dough because it helps structure and aeration during the creaming method, while powdered sugar belongs on the outside for that soft, snowy mouthfeel. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension breaks down sugar science in baking in a very practical way.

Nut prep: Stop the food processor before you hit almond paste territory. Over-grinding turns nuts into “nut butter,” and that makes the dough greasy, heavy, and less like shortbread.

Maillard reaction and aroma: Browning butter is not just color, it is flavor chemistry. A clear explainer on the Maillard reaction helps explain why toasted notes bloom in the oven.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Pro Tips

• Roll in powdered sugar once when barely warm for a “tack” coat, then roll again right before serving for that bright white finish.
• A fine-mesh strainer keeps the second coat light, even, and less break-prone.
• A zip-top bag and rolling pin crush toasted almonds beautifully if you do not have a processor, and it naturally preserves rustic chunks.
• Brown butter tastes richer when milk solids turn deeply golden, but pull it before it smells sharp or scorched.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Rolling cookies while hot melts the sugar into a gummy, translucent paste that never looks snowy.
• Using melted, liquid butter instead of cool room temperature butter leads to thin, flat cookies that spread.
• Over-grinding the almonds into paste makes the dough oily and the crumb heavy.
• Packing flour into the cup can dry the dough, so spoon and level for accuracy.

Serving & Storage

Serving Ideas

At my table, these belong next to a small espresso, the bitter edge making the sweetness feel even softer. A splash of Vin Santo is also classic, especially when the cookies are freshly dusted and still aromatic.

In a holiday tin, I like contrast, white cookies beside something darker and chewy. A row of classic chocolate chip cookies makes the snowy coating look even more dramatic.

Storage & Shelf Life

Humidity is the quiet thief here, it dulls the powdered sugar and makes the coating look damp. Airtight containers are mandatory, and baking paper between layers keeps them from sticking and losing their snow.

Baked cookies freeze well, and so do the raw dough balls, which is my favorite for fresh-baked trays. Michigan State University Extension shares sensible freezing guidelines that match what I do in my own kitchen.

The Tradition of the Italian Wedding Cookie

These cookies travel well across cultures, from Italian-American Christmas tables to wedding receptions where the dessert table needs something delicate and pretty. That snowy look is part celebration, part comfort, and part memory.

Food traditions stick because they carry stories, not just flavors, and the tradition of the Italian Wedding Cookie has been lovingly documented in Italian-American life. When I bake them, I feel that same thread, a small, sweet way to say, “You’re welcome here.”

A Sweet Final Word from My Kitchen

If you want italian wedding cookies that taste like more than powdered sugar and butter, brown the butter and treat the almonds with respect. Once you nail that barely-warm coating window, you’ll get that perfect snowy bite every time.

If your cookie tins need something rich and buttery too, that same deep flavor reminds me of a good kentucky butter cake style richness. The holiday table always has room for one more beloved treat.

Frequently Asked Questions