Jump to RecipeThese beautiful little cookies may look like a breadstick but they have the texture of an Italian twist cookie and the taste of an orange creamsicle!
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I could not wait to share this recipe with you! I recently discovered two things, one being that I have figured out how to make really delicious orange creamsicle flavored desserts and two being that I have accidentally figured out a recipe for Italian biscuit cookies. If you have been following me you may remember my Once Baked Biscotti Recipe. The orange creamsicle Italian twist cookies are different because they are perfectly crunchy and twisted like a mini breadstick. They are a different recipe altogether!
I was actually on a quest to figure out a completely different recipe and somehow created these cookies, which I never thought I would have been able to make at home! I know how popular my Orange Creamsicle Madeleines were so I thought I’d share another delightful orange dreamy recipe with you!
What is an Italian twist cookie?
If you have ever been to an Italian market you should know what these are. In the U.S., they are considered just a perfectly light but crunchy and still sort of soft cookie. They are either shaped in a knot, braided or twisted how they are in my photos. Italians generally call most of their cookies a biscuit but in America, most people consider them a cookie, so I called them Italian twist cookies.
If you have ever had an “S” cookie the Italian twist cookies are similar to those. They may have a different name sometimes but for the most part, they should all have that distinct texture and that perfect Italian flavoring that I, unfortunately, can never achieve.
What are the flavors used in a lot of Italian biscuit cookies?
As I stated above I can’t figure out the particular flavor combo. I know most Italian bakeries or bakers use anise, almond, and vanilla extracts, sometimes a berry flavoring for those iconic pink leaf cookies. I just haven’t been able to put my figure on what extract or combo of extracts are used in the traditional Italian twist biscuit. They taste like they may have more than two maybe even three extracts. This is partially why I decided to make them orange creamsicle! Citrus is a popular flavor among Italian desserts so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with the orange creamsicle combo! True authentic Italian desserts and pasta are usually made with semolina flour which could also explain the reason I cannot achieve the same flavor. Semolina has an earthy, sweet, and nutty flavor it is also yellow in color.
Whats different about this cookie recipe?
Orange creamsicle Italian twist cookies have a little bit of milk in them. I believe the combination of the milk with the rest of the ingredients helps lend to the texture of the cookie. I have also decided to add an egg wash on top using a pastry brush, this helps make that golden brown color on top of them which should remind you of the Italian cookies you used to get as a kid!
Orange Creamsicle Italian Twist Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Cookie Sheets
- Parchment paper
- zester/grater
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/6th tsp salt
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz melted white chocolate
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
egg wash
- 1 egg optional
Instructions
- Zest one orange and then juice it in a separate bowl.
- In a small bowl sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
- Next, get 2 cookie sheeta and place parchment paper on them. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt your white chocolate until fully smooth, be careful not to burn it, follow package instructions.
- In a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until thoroughly combined.
- Add the egg, salt, vanilla, and freshly squeezed orange juice, mix until fully combined.
- Add the slightly cooled melted white chocolate and thoroughly mix.
- Add in the bit of milk till just combined then add in the flour.
- Next, pull off a small rectangle of parchment paper and lightly tape it to your work surface. Take about a 1 tsp of dough and roll it into a cylinder shape that is 2-3 inches in length then do it again so you have two 2-3 inch cylinders. Align them next to one another twisting one behind the other. Continue this process until you have about 36 twists. Place them on the cookie sheets leaving a little room between each.
- Crack one more egg into a small bowl and whisk, take a pastry brush and lightly baste each cookie. You can skip this but most Italian cookies have an egg wash on them.
- Bake the cookies for 10-15 min until golden brown on top and lightly browned on the bottom. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 min.
Notes
I hope you try out these cute cookies! They are perfect when paired with some espresso, coffee, or tea!
Hey there! I’m the owner & author of Life Is Homemade (the blog), as well as Mad About Madeleines. I hope you enjoyed some of the delicious recipes, how-to’s, DIYs, & product reviews I blogged about. Thank you for your previous support I hope you stick around on my new journey with Mad About Madeleines.
Those are so cool! I would love to taste them. Would need a GF/DF version, though, to make in my house.
Thank you! I have not tried making them gf/df but I’m sure if you’ve had success with certain gf/df substitutes they will work fine in this recipe. If you haven’t done much gf/df baking I would suggest substituting solid coconut oil for the butter or a drink butter sub. For flour I would try using GF flour (like bobs red mill) at a 1 to 1 ratio. Since they are cookies and not cake/bread you shouldn’t need to worry about adding xanthan gum but if you want to keep a better structure maybe add 1/4 tsp. For the milk I would try using almond milk, I would leave the egg wash off the top but inside I would suggest using 1/4 cup of fruit puree (apple or banana) or a flax seed egg can work too! Let me know if you try it!
I’m a sucker for anything orange creme flavor, looks super yummy
Thank you! Me too 😋
These look amazing. I am imagining them with a cup of tea or coffee. Yum!
Yes definitely! So delicious!
Wow, these have a lot going on! I would eat way too many if they were actually bread sticks. 😂
Lol! Yes the name is a bit long but the taste and texture are amazing!
I love orange creamsicles! I’ll have to try this.
Me too! I hope you enjoy them!
This looks amazing! You had me at Italian….love that!
Thank you!
These look amazing! I love anything Creamsicle!
Thank you, me too!!
This looks like an amazing recipe! I sure the whit chocolate adds a wonderful richness! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes it does! I hope you enjoy them!🙂
Another great recipe. Thanks for sharing. This will be going on a tea menu for sure. They look delicious and easy to put together.
Thank you! Yes very simple!
This looks delicious! I love creamsicles!
Thank you! ☺️
These look wonderful. Will have to give them a try.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them!
I love creamsicles! So, this is a no-brainer recipe for me to try!
Yay, I hope you enjoy them!
I love orange and these look pretty easy to make.
Yes they are!
I’m super excited to try this recipe out!! I love to bake and am always looking for something new and exciting. I’ve never seen anything like this. Yay!! I’m still not working due to covid so I’m sure these will be made within the next week.
I’m sorry about work, but thank you I hope you enjoy these! If you do you would probably really like my orange creamcicle Madeleines as well!
Those sound great and look like they would be a lot of fun to make!!
They are delicious and easy!
Wow these looks so yummy! I thought they were bread sticks, just like you said, but I bet they taste amazing with coffee or tea!
Yes they do!
These look delicious!
Thank you!
I wish I had a jar of these sitting on my desk right now!
These look and sound amazing! My husband loves orange creamsicle.
Thank you!
These would be a nice treat with my morning coffee!
Definitely!
Oh, one of my favorite flavors! Love that they are a twist as well!
Me too!
Wow, they look delicious! I love orange twist ice cream.
It’s the best!
Yum! These look fantastic! I love orange flavored goodies!
Thank you! Me too!!
Those look delicious and I think my grandson would love to do the twisting!
Thank you! I am sure he will have a blast, what nice memories you two will have!
I’m on a diet at the moment, and I’m contemplating whether to make them, because if I do, I will scoff the lot. I will make them I think, can’t resist
Lol, I’m sorry I’ve ruined your diet but they are worth it!
Yes please! Pinned!
Thank you!!
These cookies look amazing! I think I could easily adapt this recipe to make it vegan.
Awesome! Let me know if you try it with your vegan adaptations!