Ottijiet

Ottijiet (Maltese Butter Cookies)

Ottijiet are traditional Maltese butter cookies, crisp and rich with a delicate crumb, traditionally enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. The dough is pressed into fluted molds or piped into shapes, then baked until just pale gold.

Prep

25 min

Cook

15 min

Total

40 min

Serves

30 cookies

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• •200 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• •150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, fine caster sugar preferred
• •2 whole large eggs, at room temperature
• •1 tsp baking powder
• •1 pinch salt
• •1 tsp vanilla extract, traditionally optional; lemon zest is a common alternative
• •1 tsp lemon zest, optional, finely grated

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2 In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 4–5 minutes.
3. 3 Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, if using.
4. 4 Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, mixing gently until a soft, smooth dough forms. Do not overwork.
5. 5 Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes to make it easier to handle.
6. 6 Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to about 5 mm (¼ inch) thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters, or use a cookie press / Ottijiet mold for the traditional ridged shape. If using a mold, press small portions of dough firmly into the well-floured mold, then tap out onto the prepared sheet.
7. 7 Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 cm (¾ inch) apart. Bake on the middle rack for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn pale golden. The centers should still look light - they will firm up as they cool.
8. 8 Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.