Homemade Sicilian S Cookies Recipe
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Bring my Sicilian grandma right to your kitchen with this generations-old easy to make S cookie recipe that is guaranteed to produce smiles.
I love sharing my family recipes and if you’re a huge Italian or Sicilian food fan then definitely check out my Spaghetti sauce or my delicious homemade Cannoli recipe.
S Cookies
If you’ve ever been to an Italian or Sicilian get together, no matter if it’s a holiday or just a back-yard party, you will inevitably be exposed to S cookies in some fashion. They are as classic as it gets in the world of Italian cookies, probably because they’re so easy to make.
My family has been making S cookies for generations. My grandma’s mom made them, my grandma made them, and now all of my aunts and mom make them. It’s a very simple recipe and incredibly inexpensive to make, and also not to mention it’s great to make with the kids.
What Type of Cookie Is It?
When making the s cookie you may recognize that some of the procedures are very similar to making homemade pie dough. In fact, when you taste it, it will sort of be like eating the lightest, fluffiest, butter-filled pie dough you’ve ever eaten.
The dough is a basic butter cookie accept you aren’t creaming the butter, you cut it in with the dry ingredients. While just messing around with the original recipe, I tried creaming the butter and the cookies came out super flat, so don’t do it. These are the absolute perfect cookie to enjoy in the morning with coffee.
How to Make S Cookies
Cut the butter: First thing I do is, I cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl until the mixture looks like a meal and the butter pieces are about the size of couscous.
Mix the eggs: Next, I whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl until fully combined.
Form the dough: I transfer the dry ingredients onto a clean surface and form a well in the center.
Add the wet ingredients: I pour the wet ingredients into the center of the well in the dry ingredients.
Knead and chill: I knead the dough for 4 to 6 minutes until it becomes a soft cookie dough, adding a little water if it feels too dry, then rest it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Shape the cookies: I take about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it out on a clean surface, then bring the ends inward to form an S shape.
Bake and cool: I bake the cookies on a parchment lined sheet tray at 350 F on the bottom rack for 5 minutes, move them to the top rack for another 5 minutes, then let them cool.
Make the glaze: While the cookies cool, I whisk the powdered sugar and milk together in a bowl until smooth.
Glaze and serve: I dip the cooled cookies into the powdered sugar glaze or brush it over the tops, then serve.
chef tip + notes
I always make sure the butter is fully softened before cutting it into the dry ingredients. Soft butter blends more evenly into the flour and helps the dough come together smoothly instead of feeling stiff or crumbly.
- Butter or margarine choice: My Aunt Pam swears that if you use ½ Blue Bonnet margarine, the cookies will taste better. I used all unsalted butter, but it’s up to you.
- Budget friendly option: If butter is too expensive you can use 100% margarine, which is what my grandma did.
- Vanilla amount: My family also adds up to 4 tablespoons of vanilla, but that’s too much for me.
- Speed it up: To fast track this recipe, cut the butter into the dry ingredients in a food processor and then transfer to a stand mixer with the hook attachment and knead in the wet ingredients.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 2-3 days ahead of time.
How to Store: Keep these in plastic bags at room temperature for up to 6 days or in the refrigerator for up to 8 days. These freeze extremely well in plastic bags for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and serve.
More Amazing Dessert Recipes
Video
Homemade Sicilian S Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 ½ sticks softened unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- water
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Add the flour, sugar, and baking powder to a large bowl and using a pastry knife cut in the butter until the mixture becomes like a meal or is very small like couscous. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla until completely combined.
- Transfer the dry ingredients to a clean surface and form a well in the center. Pour the wet ingredients to the center of the well and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes or until it forms a smooth cookie dough.
- If the dough is dry add 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time while kneading until the dough is soft. Do not add too much or the dough will become too wet and sticky.
- Add the dough to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Take the dough out and take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it out on a clean surface until it’s about a ½” to ¾” in diameter and 5”-6” in length.
- Curl up each end to the center to form an S shape and then add to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper about 2” apart from one another. Use the dough until it is all gone.
- Bake the cookies on the bottom rack of an oven for 350° for 5 minutes and then the top rack at 350° for 5 minutes or until very lightly browned around the bottom edges.
- Cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling whisk together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until combined then dip the top part of the s cookie in the glaze and set on a rack until the glaze has formed to the cookie. You can also brush the glaze on if you’d like.
I made them and they were absolutely delicious the only hiccup i had was the amount of cookies the recipe yielded I only got 28 and I made sure on how much batter to use, you did state in the video about 2 tablespoons plus a tad more so I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop because I’m big on uniformity but they still came out they are big though 😊 so next time I will try 1 tablespoon plus a little bit more that would yield 50 but they are good and that is all that matters thank you for sharing that wonderful recipe
Thanks for giving them a try!
Well I made them the taste is delicious I only encountered a few hiccups, but not because of the recipe my stove for some reason it’s almost 25° off so when I put the cookies in the first time, I said to myself, let me only do two, good thing I did the bottoms were not like his they were really brown so I lowered the oven temp and then I proceeded to cook the rest. I went to 330 on the oven temp that helped tremendously and brought the bottom rack up just one slot.I didn’t get 50 not even close. I got about 28 and I followed video to the letter I have cookie scoops. I measured 2 tablespoons to see which one I needed because I do like uniformity when I make cookies.The S shape was easy. To make Everything else was easy but all in all, I would make them again because they were like I said delicious
LLUV LUV THESE
Many thanks!
Mine puffed up until you can barely tell they’re an “S”. What did I do wrong? Not make the ropes long enough maybe?
Hmm. Where in the oven did you bake them?
I saw you make these in a video a few years ago and I have enjoyed the cookies ever since! Thanks so much for sharing your family legacy!
My pleasure!
There is a large Sicilian population in the New Orleans area, but I’ve never heard of “S” cookies. I checked with the ladies at the local Council on Aging and no one there heard of them either. But I will be making them some for Christmas. Perigoni, LaFauci, and Gagliano are my relatives… Wish me luck!!
I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I have been told that these are better than my husband’s Italian grandmother’s!
I also add Anise to mine.
Thanks for giving them a try!
My Sicilian aunts added anise oil to the batter. I can’t imagine eating these cookies without that traditional anise flavor.
Feel free to add what you like
As someone who has been baking cakes, cookies, and all sorts of desserts since childhood I have to say this recipe hands-down is amazing and it tastes as good as it looks. I made this for my mother‘s 80th birthday party along with a bunch of other Italian cookies since I am Sicilian and out of the several cookies that I made for the party…This was the number one favorite by friends and family. It’s a huge hit. I highly recommend for yourself or for large crowds. Other S cookie recipes are nowhere near as good as this. I’ve tried one or two more and they were either too dry or the flavor was off but everything about this cookie is just so nice. It’s a great Dunking cookie for milk and tea, coffee as well. Taste, texture and appearance get 5 stars in my book! Grazie!
So glad it was a hit! Thank you!!
Hi Billy, my Sicilian grandmother made a very similar cookie and I can’t wait to try these. We typically make them at Christmas and shape them into wreathes, candy canes etc. Did your family ever add anise to these?
Not that I remember no