How to Make Torcetti Italian Sugar Cookies

Torcetti are traditional Italian cookies made in Piedmont. They are soft sugar-coated swirls. They are dipped in wine before eating. The recipe seems to be a simple one but there are a couple of fine points, so follow the recipe carefully for excellent results.

Ingredients for Torcetti Sugar Cookies

• 1.1 pt flour(500 gr = 3 or 3,5 cup)
• 0.5 pt warm water (280ml = 1 + 1/4 cup)
• 0.05 lb fresh yeast (20 gr. fresh yeast = 7gr dry yeast or 1,5 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.4 lb butter (200 gr. or 1 cup)
• 1 cup of sugar for coating

Recipe for Torcetti Sugar Cookies

1. Dissolve yeast in 5 teaspoons warm water with sugar and salt.
2. Sift flour and add the yeast. Knead soft and non-sticky dough adding warm water.
3. Roll the dough into a ball, put it into a bowl, cover up with a cloth and let it swell up for an hour.
4. Put the dough on a table strewn with flour and knead with butter of room temperature for 10 minutes. Put it into the bowl again and let it stand for one more hour.
5. After that knead the dough a little more and roll pencil-thin sticks about 10 cm long.
6. Roll them around in sugar and pinch the ends shaping them like drops.
7. Place the torcetti on a baking sheet sprinkled with flour.

1. Bake in the oven pre-heated to 428 F degrees for 15 minutes.