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Have you ever tasted baci de dama cookies? These mini Italian chocolate-filled sandwich cookies are made with chocolate and vanilla. One or two of these Italian cookies with chocolate in the middle will definitely put a smile on your face. The buttery vanilla cookies are sandwiched together with chocolate so you can enjoy both flavors in every bite. This version of these chocolate filled cookies is made without hazelnuts.
Made with almond flour, these light and tasty baci di dama cookies are so tempting and tasty. There’s no way you’ll be able to only have one of these Italian cookies!
If you love trying new cookie recipes, also consider cheesecake cookies, flourless fudge cookies or these Italian fig X-shaped cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Such delicious cookies: With their delicious chocolate, almond and vanilla flavors, these baci di dama cookies are sure to thrill your taste buds.
Easy to make: There’s nothing difficult about this easy Italian cookie recipe.
Ideal for gift-giving: I like to make extra whenever I’m making a batch of these, because they also make a lovely gift.
Baci di Dama Cookies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Butter: Although you could use margarine, butter is the best flavor.
White sugar: For sweetness.
Vanilla extract: Adds a delicious vanilla flavor.
Semisweet chocolate chips: Adds a chocolatey richness.
Almond flour: Adds a nutty flavor and takes the place of wheat flour, making these gluten-free.
How to Make Baci di Dama Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the cookie dough: First you will cream some of the butter with the sugar for a few minutes. Next you can mix in the vanilla and then the two kinds of flour.
Knead the dough: Knead the resulting dough on a floured work surface until it’s quite firm and tough.
Shape, freeze and bake: Divide the dough into teaspoon-sized balls and freeze until hard. Bake until golden then let them cool.
Sandwich them together: Melt the rest of the butter with the chocolate chips and then use this chocolate filling to stick two of the cookies together. Repeat with the remainder of the melted mixture and cookies to finish the chocolate filled cookies.
Substitutions and Variations
Butter: Margarine could take the place of butter.
Vanilla extract: Another extract, such as hazelnut, coconut or raspberry could be fun to try.
Almond flour: Hazelnut flour would work in place of the almond flour (basically just finely ground nuts).
Chocolate chips: I used semisweet chocolate chips but you could use another kind such as milk chocolate or white chocolate. If you’re doing this, you might need to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to avoid making them too sweet.
Serving Suggestions
With savory snacks: Pair your baci di dama sandwich cookies with party nuts or million dollar deviled eggs.
With other cookies: Make up a cookie tray, perhaps also making black and white cookies and chewy coffee cookies too, or jam and buttercream sandwich cookies.
How to Store Baci di Dama Cookies
Store: These chocolate-filled cookies will keep for up to a week in a sealed container somewhere cool.
Freeze: If you prefer to freeze them, they will be fine in the freezer (assembled) for a month. Another option is to shape the dough into balls and freeze those until you want to thaw them out and proceed with the recipe.
Thaw: Thaw the cookies overnight.
Top Tips
Use cold butter: It’s important to use well-chilled butter because this, as well as the chilling time in the freezer, means the cookies won’t spread out during cooking which would ruin the shape.
Use parchment paper: This stops the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet.
Freeze the dough: Freeze the cookies before baking to prevent them spreading when baked.
Italian Sandwich Cookies FAQs
The cookies originate from Tortona, a town in Piedmont, Northern Italy. They’ve been around since the 1800s and were likely created to make use of all the hazelnuts that are local to Piedmont. You might also enjoy this canestrelli cookies recipe – they’re another Italian delicacy. Oh, and I bet you’ll also love these amaretti cookies!
Whether you’re following the recipe using almond flour or you are substituting hazelnut flour (or some of each) you might be wondering what kind to use. Look for blanched almond flour. This means the outer almond skins are removed before they’re ground up. It’s light in color. The other type is unblanched almond flour and this is made by grinding the almonds without peeling the outer skins off first. This type is coarser in texture and darker in color. I recommend the unblanched kind for a lighter, more delicate result from your baking.
‘Baci’ means kiss while ‘dama’ means lady in Italian, so these little chocolate filled cookies made without hazelnuts are literally called ‘lady’s kisses’ which probably refers to how the cookies are sandwiched together around the chocolate filling, like lips coming together for a kiss!
Although hazelnuts are used more often than not, they’re sometimes made without hazelnuts and there are several varieties to choose from. You can find Italian biscuits with chocolate in the middle from pretty much any bakery in Italy.
Best Italian Baci di Dama Recipe
Baci di Dama Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 Cup almond flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 Cup chocolate chips, semisweet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, cream 1/2 cup of butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and beat until mixed.
- Add almond flour and all purpose flour to butter mixture and beat until a dough begins to form.
- Lightly flour a clean counter with almond flour. Knead it until a tough dough forms (you may need to add extra flour while kneading).
- Using a teaspoon, scoop the dough and roll into balls.
- Place on a cookie sheet and freeze until the dough is hard, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are domed and lightly browned.
- Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before adding chocolate.
- Add chocolate chips and remaining butter into a small microwavable bowl. Microwave to melt, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and smooth.
- Spoon a small amount of chocolate on each cookie and place a second cookie on top to sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
Use parchment paper: This stops the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet.
Freeze the dough: Freeze the cookies before baking to prevent them spreading when baked.
Nutrition
Baci di dama cookies are mini Italian biscuit sandwich cookies. These Italian cookies with chocolate in the middle are made without hazelnuts. Instead they boast the rich flavors of almonds and vanilla along with chocolate and pair perfectly with a morning cappuccino or after-dinner espresso!
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Such a treat! The buttery cookies with chocolate filling were heavenly.
This was a total hit with our guests! Excited to make this again. 🙂
These are absolute heaven! I was surprised at how good they are!
It’s never easy choosing between chocolate and vanilla and with this recipe I can enjoy both in every bite. I’m loving these easy cookies!
These look so good!