Abbracci, which translates into Hugs in Italian, are classic Italian butter cookies, crumbly and delicious, where the white half cookie reaches out to the other half, the dark cookie, in a harmonious embrace. In Italy, they are mostly enjoyed at breakfast, dipped in cappuccino or tea, but you can enjoy them anytime!
Today I am sharing my contribution to The Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange. With several other bloggers, we are bringing you gorgeous cookie recipes for the holiday season.
[Post updated in January 2021]
Italian cookies
I was excited to see so many bloggers join in on the fun and share their incredible cookie creations! Indeed, I was pondering which cookie recipe to share, and I think I found the right one, in these Abbracci biscotti, Italian Hugs Cookies.
Truly, I've never done any Christmas baking marathons, not when I was in Italy, not here in Canada. I am a consistent home baker, that is, you can find me in the kitchen making something almost every day. I like to make homemade bread, pizza dough, pasta dough, often; cakes, pies, and tarts for those special times; furthermore muffins, scones, loaf cakes for our breakfast, and cookies for the cookie jar sitting on our counter.
Hugs, Abbracci
The cookies I chose for this cookie exchange are famous Italian cookies called Abbracci, which translates into hugs, and what a better name to describe a cookie to be exchanged at this particular time of the year, that is supposed to be filled with joy, love, and hugs, but that can be a time of trial for so many.
So today, I am sending out virtual hugs in the shape of cookies, hoping to brighten someone's day!
My mom's recipe notebook
As a matter of fact, I am sure everybody in Italy knows these particular cookies, where half of the white dough hugs the dark, the cocoa half. They are a replica of a store-bought cookie, made by a famous Italian brand. They are delicious, and the recipe I am sharing with you today comes from my mom's recipe notebook, handwritten in Italian on pages that have become yellowish and stained over the years. You see the notebook in the pictures, I am so happy it is in my hands, now!
The preparation
In the end, the Abbracci, Italian Hugs Cookies, are quite easy to make, they only require a bit of your time, and a few steps to follow. My mom's recipe calls for 00 flour (or all-purpose), but I wanted to give an healthier spin substituting half the amount of the all-purpose with white whole wheat flour. One of the disadvantages is that it makes the dough a little harder to pipe. TIP: If you see that the dough is too hard to pipe (especially the cocoa one), just roll both doughs into medium/thick ropes, cut the ropes about 2 inches then overlap the cocoa dough onto the white dough to make a full circle.
These Abbracci cookies look so pretty, and so very close to the store-bought version. I was so happy with the result!
Can't you just feel the hug energy coming from these beautiful cookies? I made them with that energy in mind. I think they are like yin and yang, a perfect balance of color, texture, and taste!
Breakfast cookies?
These Abbracci, Italian Hug Cookies are perfect for dunking and are actually considered breakfast cookies in the Italian tradition. I love the way the cookie absorbs the liquid and yet it stays moist and intact. The flavor of the vanilla half is amazing and the cocoa equally delicious, and when the two meet it is as special as a hug and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The texture is light and crumbly and when it hits your tongue those little crumbs just melt and that vanilla/cocoa combo really plays with your taste buds.
It is Christmas and there is no better gift than sharing a hug, add a sweet delicious treat and I believe that we have a great gift for this festive season. Homemade gifts are special, the time that has taken to prepare them, the passion infused in them, and the joy on people's faces after they have enjoyed them is priceless.
How about this year we leave Santa a little Italian tradition and have a cappuccino and some Abbracci Cookies for him? I think he will love that!
Happy Holidays, Buone Feste, from us, here, at Sugarlovespices!
Make sure to check out all the cookies made for this year’s Sweetest Season Virtual Cookie Exchange!
And if you’d like to join us in giving back this season, please consider making a donation to our Sweetest Season fundraising page!
Buon Natale!
PrintAbbracci, Italian Hugs Cookies
Abbracci, that translates into Hugs in Italian, are classic Italian butter cookies, crumbly and delicious, where the white half cookie reaches out to the other half, the dark cookie, in a harmonious embrace. In Italy, they are mostly enjoyed at breakfast, dipped in cappuccino or tea, but you can enjoy them anytime!
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 40-50 cookies (2 inches, 5 cm diameter) 1x
Ingredients
- 500 g (3 cups) flour type 00 or all-purpose (I used 220 g all-purpose + 230 g white whole wheat)
- pinch of salt
- 8 g (1 ½ tsp) baking powder
- 200 g (1 cup packed) raw cane sugar
- 200 g (⅞ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, organic, free-range
- 50 g (2 heaping Tbsp) honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 100 g (scant 7 Tbsp) whipping cream (heavy cream) + 2 tablespoon for the cocoa dough
- 50 g (½ cup) cocoa
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with a silicone mat, or parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- In a medium bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, work the butter with the sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed, then the honey, vanilla, whipping cream.
- Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low until well combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and using a scale, or by eye, divide the dough into two equal parts.
- Put one half back in the bowl of the stand mixer, add the cocoa and the 2 tablespoon of whipping cream and mix well until combined.
- Now that you have the two colored cookie doughs, put them in two piping bags, snip the end about ½ inch (1.5 cm) and start by piping half-circles of white dough on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space in between, taking into account the full size of the cookie, which is about 2/2.5 inches (⅚ cm).
- Complete the circle of each cookie by piping the dark half overlapping both sides of the white dough, repeating this process until all dough is used. Since the cocoa dough is a little harder than the white to pipe, you can roll a rope of the cocoa dough (about 2 inches) and overlap on the white dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the white dough is lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Stored in an airtight container, they last for a week.
Notes
If you're using, like me, half all-purpose and half white whole wheat flour, reduce the total amount to 450 g.
You can successfully halve the recipe.
If you see that the dough is too hard to pipe (especially the cocoa one), just roll both doughs into medium/thick ropes, cut the ropes about 2 inches then overlap the cocoa dough onto the white dough to make a full circle.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast/Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
thespeckledpalate says
1. I love that you're sending out virtual Hugs in shape of cookies. I wish we were all in the same place so we could actually share and taste and laugh because it would be SO MUCH FUN.
2. I've seen cookies like these before, but never made anything like them. I'm totally adding this to my baking list for the season. 😉
3. Thank you so much for participating in this year's exchange! It has been SUCH a joy to see all the gorgeous recipes shared throughout the week!
That would be so much fun! Thank you for inviting me to this beautiful cookie exchange!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says
I love that these are called "hugs" - what a cheerful way to start the day!
Thank you Julie! Yes, a nice what to start a day ????.
Eva says
These are my favourite biscuits back in Italy and I can't find them anywhere in Sweden. Thanks for the recipe, will help feed my cravings when I finish the supplies I bring back every time I visit my family!
So glad to be of help! We too always bring back supplies of cookies that we cannot find here ????. Thank you, hope you make them!
Lily {Gastro Senses} says
Who can resist such yummy and beautiful cookies? I can’t!!
Neither do we ????. Thanks!
Gloria Duggan says
HAHAHA...love the "hugs"...they would look great on the holiday tray. Wishing you two a wonderful holiday season!!
Thank you Gloria! Happy Holidays to you and your family as well!!
Laineey says
My grandmother used to make cookies very similar to these but I never knew the name of them. These are simply fantastic. You get the best of both worlds (chocolate and vanilla) ! I'm going to try these for my cookie tray this year!! Great recipe!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy making them, they would look nice on a cookie tray! 🙂
Veena Azmanov says
I love the name of these cookies! So cute. Love hugs especially at this time of the year. These look like such a treat. yum!
Thank you! They are cute and yummy and bring a good message 🙂 .
Analida's Ethnic Spoon says
What a fantastic cookie and story to go along with them. Hugs to you and your family at Christmas! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! We always like stories to go with our recipes...
chef mimi says
oh my god how fun! They're so beautiful! Hugs back!
Thank you so much, chef Mimi!!
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
im in a major cookie baking mode and i love these! i will have to add to my ever growing list.
Erica Acevedo says
These are just so pretty! I'd love to see these on a holiday cookie platter...I mean, I'd rather be enjoying them in Italy, but I'm sure they'll taste just as yummy on my back porch!
Megan says
These are so cute and they look yummy too! I always love adding new cookie recipes to my list this time of year
Thanks! They are, especially dunked in a cappuccino! 🙂
helene dsouza says
My bosses wife would make those cookies for Christmas. The last time I had them was when I was a teenager and then I didn't see these cookies ever again. I also didn't know that they were called Abbracci, but it does make sense why. =D
Nice! Happy to hear that! 🙂 Abbracci is such a suitable name for them 🙂 Thank you for your comment!
LeAndra says
Cappuccino + cookies = perfect. Love this recipe idea!
That's the typical Italian breakfast 🙂 . Thanks!
prasanna hede says
lovee that these are called "hugs"....so perfect for season!
We think so too! We all need more hugs and joy 😉 . Thank you!
Leslie says
I'd never heard of these before, but I'm in love with the name!
Such a cute name isn't it? Thanks for stopping by!
fentonjillian says
The combination of vanilla, honey and cocoa in a cookie sounds fantastic. Reminds me of my travels to Italy this past summer.
Yes, the flavors are just so beautiful together. They are a taste of Italy 🙂 . Thanks!
Amanda says
I’m so excited to see a recipe for these! I usually buy them and they are the most delicious cookies. These will be beautiful on my Christmas cookie trays!
I love them! they are among my favorite Italian cookie! So glad you like them, enjoy, and thank you!
Amelie says
The name of these cookies makes them so romantic and the perfect gift for loved ones. And they look so pretty and delicious too!
I like the idea of them being romantic ????. They are indeed a delicious gift to give. Thank you!
Erin Parker says
Oh, I love, love, love the story behind these cookies, Nicoletta! What a perfect dessert to serve this time of year!
★★★★★
Thank you, Erin! They are among my favorites!
Joanna says
Love All your recipes I've tried and can't wait to try these. CN they be made ahead of the me and then kept in the freezer?
Hi! Thank you for your nice words. I haven't tried freezing them, but I guess it would work. Lately I like to halve the recipe because it makes quite a few cookies and it's only two of us. They last for a few days in a cookie jar or airtight container. Anyway, if you want to freeze them, wrap a few of them in plastic and then place in a ziplock bag or container. I wouldn't leave them in the freezer for more than a month, though.