Pizzicati, also known as Italian pinch cookies, are small, tender cookies with a sweet jam center. They get their name from the way the dough is “pinched” around the filling to seal it.
If you’re looking for cookies that are both fun to make and delicious to eat, Pizzicati are a great choice. They take a little time to roll, cut out and pinch, but the result is a tray of cookies that stand out for sharing, gifting, or enjoying with a cup of coffee or tea.
What You’ll Need
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 Tablespoons jam or preserves
How to Make Them
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set an oven rack in the middle.
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Whisk flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
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Add softened butter and beat on low until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until a dough forms.
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Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead gently, flatten into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
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Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2 1/4-inch rounds. Reroll scraps as needed. Place rounds on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
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Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into the center of each round. Fold the sides up and pinch firmly in the center to seal.
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Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
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Cool on the pan 10 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and dust with powdered sugar.
Tips and Tricks
• Use jam not jelly: Jelly melts and runs, while jam and preserves stay thick and stable during baking.
• Don’t overfill: It may not seem like enough but too much will leak out in the oven.
• Pinch firmly: A tight seal keeps the cookies from opening as they bake.
If you make these Pizzicati, we'd love to hear how they turn out in the comments or with a review. For more Italian favorites, check out our Rosettes and Chocolate Totos.
Pizzicati - Italian Pinch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 Tablespoons jam, preserves or fruit spread
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, whisk together flour, confectioner's sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and salt until combined.
- Add butter and using the paddle attachment, beat on low until the butter is worked in and the mixture is crumbly. Add egg and vanilla bean paste, beat until a dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a pastry mat and gently knead until smooth. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour.
- Heat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured pastry mat. Roll to 1/4" thickness. Cut into 2 1/4" rounds, rerolling scraps to use all the dough. Place on the prepared sheet.
- Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam onto center. Fold in the sides and pinch firmly in the center to seal.
- Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on pan 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Source: Bake from Scratch Holiday Cookies 2025
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