Italian Christmas Cookies
Enjoy these Italian Christmas Cookies with your loved ones and make them part of your holiday traditions!
Ingredients
- Cookie Dough:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 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
Instructions
- Whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside.
- Cream butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
- Add flour mixture; mix to combine. Knead until firm. Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets.
- Shape cookies into 1-inch balls or swirls. Place on baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
- Combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk for the glaze. Dip cookie tops in glaze and decorate with sprinkles.
- Let set for 30-60 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter for a smooth, even dough. To soften butter quickly, cut it into smaller pieces and let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes
- Once you add the ingredients mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough cookies, which is not ideal for soft Italian Christmas cookies.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. It makes it easier to handle and shape the dough. This also helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Decorating warm cookies can cause the icing to melt or the decorations to slide off.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving. It is best to freeze them without the glaze and decoration.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!