or most Americans, a biscuit is a small, soft bun that is more of a bread than a pastry. In Italian, biscotto is "a generic term for small, sweet, dry, crumbly and simply made pastries baked at length in the oven." Originally, the biscotto was pane biscotto or "twice-cooked bread," which was usually savory and not sweet. In relatively recent years, the American word "cookie" has been applied to the sweet versions.
Biscuits were and perhaps in some cases still are baked twice. The objective was the elimination of as much moisture as possible, which increased the keeping capacity of the biscuits. These twice-cooked breads were essential provisions for ships on long cruises and their production was centered, therefore, on regions with strong maritime interests like the republics of Venice and Genoa. However, biscuits are such handy items that they can be found in most households in all parts of the country.
Traditional biscuits are so hard that they must be softened before they can be consumed. Most Italians meet that requirement in an extremely agreeable way by dipping their biscuits in wine, usually but not necessarily a sweet type. The favorite softener in central Italy and especially Tuscany is vin santo.
Cookies, which are extremely popular in Italy, are produced in a vast variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. Some are of foreign inspiration but most can probably be traced to traditional "ancestors" in the country's many regional cuisines. They are mostly sweet and crumbly and they often include nuts, fruits and other flavorings.