Description
Delight in the festive spirit with these traditional Italian Christmas Cookies. Soft, cake-like, and beautifully glazed, they bring a perfect blend of vanilla and anise flavors. Perfect for holiday gifting and celebrations, these cookies are easy to bake and customize with your choice of glaze flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
- 1/2 teaspoon anise extract (optional)
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- colorful sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure easy removal and even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures your leavening and seasoning are evenly distributed.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, indicating well-incorporated air for tenderness.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract and anise extract if using, for a fragrant flavor.
- Combine Dough: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until a soft dough forms without overworking it for tender cookies.
- Shape Cookies: Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop out portions of dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops remain pale and soft.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla or almond extract until the glaze is smooth and pourable.
- Glaze and Decorate: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, then immediately sprinkle colorful sprinkles on top. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- These cookies are soft and cake-like, making them perfect for holiday gifting or enjoying fresh.
- You can customize the glaze flavor by using lemon, almond, or anise extract to suit your taste.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week for best freshness.
- For longer storage, freeze the cookies without glaze and glaze them after thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
