A very old recipe for Sicilian “S” cookies, that my mom and nonna used to make. A delicious addition to the holiday cookie tray and just perfect for breakfast with your coffee!
The Sicilian S Cookie is the first cookie recipe I learned how to make from my mom and from our Sicilian and Italian friends. They are the one cookie that brings back so many childhood memories.
Sicilian “S” Cookies
I can remember putting together the dough for the Sicilian S Cookies at Christmas time and taking out the portions of dough piece by piece. And then rolling the dough into the strips that would become the most beautiful S. Now these S’s were never completely perfect and that is what made them so beautiful. They are what I dreamed of having for breakfast every day and I still prefer these cookies to almost any thing with my coffee in the morning. My kids love baking and cooking with their Italian nonna and the “S” cookies are so fun to make!
These Sicilian cookies could also be called Italian Breakfast cookies. These cookies are not only the most perfect breakfast cookie but are also perfect for a break any time during the day. When I bake a batch of them I imagine my nonna sitting at the table in Sicily with her sisters having a cookie and looking out over the balcony to see who is passing by. They would share a story about a neighbor or one of their kids and laugh and reminisce. It’s the cookie that must be shared and that makes you take a pause.
How do you shape Sicilian “S” Cookies
- Scoop out portions (2 Tablespoons) of the dough on place on the floured surface.
- Roll the dough piece into a 4-5 inch strand (1/2 inch diameter).
- Form into an S and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- You could pull portions of dough and they could be between 3-8 inches long.
- You could do a mix of small, medium and large cookies. Just bake the same shaped cookies on tray together so they’ll be ready at same time. If you bake large with a mix of the smaller shape, the small cookies will be ready sooner and then over bake.
- Press gently to flatten a little. Continue shaping the rest of the cookies and place them about 1-inch apart.
Tips for making Italian Breakfast Cookies:
- If you’re out of lemons, you could replace the lemon zest with orange zest.
- Add vanilla extract for a different flavor.
- Use a bit of oil on your fingertips to help you roll the cookies. Be sure it’s just a touch of oil.
How to store Italian Breakfast Cookies:
- Let cool completely before storing.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Alternately, place them in a zipped lock freezer bag (be sure all the air is squeezed out of it)or in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Sicilian S Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 eggs additional 1 for egg wash
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus extra for topping
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- Zest of one lemon I used organic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare several baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; set aside.
- Add eggs, sugar, oil and lemon zest to your mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Slowly add in the flour mix 1/2 cup portion at a time and mix on medium speed until you have a soft dough. Take care not to over mix the dough.
- Dump out the dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Work the dough just a bit until it is smooth and cohesive.
- Scoop out portions (2 Tablespoons) of the dough on place on the floured surface. Roll the dough piece into a 4-5 inch strand (1/2 inch diameter). Form into an S and place on parchment lined baking sheet. You could pull portions of dough and they could be between 3-8 inches long. I had a mix of small, medium and large cookies. Just bake the same shaped cookies on tray together so they'll be ready at same time. If you bake large with a mix of the smaller shape, the small cookies will be ready sooner and then over bake.
- Press gently to flatten a little. Continue shaping the rest of the cookies and place them about 1-inch apart.
- In a small bowl beat the egg to make the egg wash. Brush each cookie with the egg wash.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes and until golden brown. Depending on the size, some could be done sooner, so be sure to start checking them at about 13 minutes. Store in an airtight container.
Love how easy these are to make! Perfect alongside my morning coffee!
I bet these are a lot of fun to make; I’ll have to give these a try!
These sound like the perfect snack or dessert! I will have to make these with my kids!
Making these asap! Love the S shape of them!
These are THE best!
These sound delicious! Dangerously good…
These were sooo very good. However, I need a recipe for Chocolate Chip Orange S Cookies. Do you have one???
Thank you, Patty! We could make some for Christmas!I will email you to see which ones exactly you are looking for!
I would like the recipie for Chico chip orange S cookies also. Marlene mlzbatt@aol.com
HI Marlene-we are working on it! Will keep you posted! XX
These are incredibly tasty cookies and very easy to make.
I tried with 1/2″ dough instead of 1″. The dough practically doubles when baked.
They yield a lot less than 40 cookies, more like 15.
Thank you!!
Thank you for writing me and I am very happy you enjoyed the recipe! It’s a lot of flour to get only 15 cookies so I’m curious how long your strands were. Happy holidays and happy baking to you!
Easy to make and rolls to shape. Added a scant of salt to the recipe. Also excellent recipe made with gluten free 1 to 1 Bob Mills flour.
Hi Rose-Happy you enjoyed this beloved recipe! Great to know you had a nice result with the GF flour!! Happy Baking! XX
Hi Lora – I can’t wait to try these cookies. I have a quick question – the ingredients include extra sugar for a topping. Did you mean to sprinkle some sugar after the egg wash?
Many thanks-
Jo
Hi Jo, Yes! If you would like to sprinkle a little on after egg wash, it’s up to you! Either way the cookie is delightful! Happy Baking!! XX
Thanks Lora! The cookies turned out great – they are the perfect for “dunking”. Ciambella is next – thanks again!
Hi Jo-Thank you! I’m happy you liked the recipe!! We love to dunk them. Happy Baking! XX
Thank you for the recipe. Just made these for my parents. My father is from Sicily and he loves them! I actually dusted them with sugar and ground Sicilian pistachios – brought them home with me from my last visit in Oct 2019. Truly delicious