Makes about 5 dozen cookies
Next to my mom's peanut butter cookies, this recipe represents my earliest food memory and is one of my go-to comfort desserts. Grandma tells us her mother made these for her as a little girl in Calabria and brought the recipe with her when they moved to the U.S. Later, grandma made them for our dad and his brothers when they were boys, and then for her grandchildren. When I was small, she would make the cookies shaped to spell out my name, so in our house we always called them Sarah Cookies.
This is one of those recipes grandma does not have written down. I followed her around the kitchen transcribing her instructions as she spoke and and demonstrated. My attempt to recreate received her nod of approval (ultimate grandma praise), so I have no hesitation sharing this as the "official" Sarah Cookie recipe.
As is fairly typical of Italian cookies, this one is not overly sweet and is excellent for dunking. It is pretty hard to resist eating an entire cookie jar-full of these treats!
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
5 c all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt (somewhere between 1/8 - 1/4 tsp)
1 c unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/4 c milk
1/4 c corn oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Toppings (optional) - I used sesame seeds this time, but I've also tried sprinkles and mini chocolate chips.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the baking powder, salt, and 4 cups of flour. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy (3-5 minutes).
Add 3 eggs to the mixer bowl, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
Set the mixer to a low speed and gradually add the dry ingredients. When the flour is fully combined, the dough should be close to the texture of Play Dough and should only be sticking to the sides of the bowl a little bit. If the dough is too wet, gradually add the remaining cup of flour until the desired consistency is reached.
Scoop Tablespoons of dough, roll into logs, and twist into desired shapes.
Place the shaped dough onto the prepared cookie sheets about 1-2 inches apart.
Lightly beat the 4th egg in a small bowl and brush a little egg wash on top of each cookie. If using toppings, sprinkle them on top now.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned, then remove to wire racks to cool.
NOTE:
For a matte finish, brush the cookies with milk instead of egg wash before adding toppings and baking.
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