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Italian Cookies Recipe

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4.1 from 3 reviews

These traditional Italian cookies are soft, buttery, and lightly sweetened, perfect for festive occasions or a delightful treat. They are shaped into elegant swirls or simple balls, baked to a light golden bottom with pale tops, then glazed with a smooth vanilla icing and decorated with colorful nonpareil sprinkles for a charming finish.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla (or almond) extract
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons milk (or more if needed)
  • Nonpareil sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Cream butter mixture: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with vanilla extract and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition to ensure full integration.
  4. Combine flour mixture: Gradually add the flour and baking powder mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  5. Knead dough: Turn out the dough and knead lightly until firm and no longer sticky. Add more flour if necessary but avoid overdoing it, as chilling will firm the dough further.
  6. Chill dough: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to make it easier to handle and to develop the texture.
  7. Preheat oven and prepare sheets: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  8. Shape cookies: Roll dough into 1-inch balls for simple cookies, or form swirls by rolling small amounts of dough into 6-inch strips on a floured surface, pinching one edge and twirling the rest around to form a circular swirl, tucking the end underneath.
  9. Arrange on baking sheet: Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for expansion during baking.
  10. Bake: Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned but tops remain pale and soft.
  11. Cool cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
  12. Make glaze: In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth. Adjust the consistency to be thick yet runny by adding more milk or powdered sugar as necessary.
  13. Glaze cookies: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Return to the cooling rack.
  14. Add sprinkles: Sprinkle nonpareil decorations on the wet glaze and allow the glaze to dry completely for 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Be careful not to over-flour the dough during kneading; the chilling process will firm it up sufficiently.
  • Make sure cookies are fully cooled before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
  • Adjust glaze consistency gradually for best coating results.
  • Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/italian-cookies-recipe/