Endless dessert might just be our favorite part of the holidays. If you’re looking for some bite-sized cake-like cookies, Italian Christmas cookies are the answer for you! With a sweet glaze, you’ll want to make some batches of this crowd-pleaser before your next holiday dinner.
What are Italian Christmas cookies?
Originating from Italy’s rich baking practices, these cookies were meant to celebrate giving and sharing during the holidays. Oftentimes, special ingredients such as nuts and spices were added as a symbol of abundance. While there are many regional variations, many families pass down their recipes through generations. Large batches of theses cookies are made to share at family gatherings. While they originally were made for Christmas, who’s to say you can’t enjoy them all year long?
What ingredients do I need?
For Italian Christmas cookies, the ingredients are similar to those of any cookie recipe. You will need:
Butter
Powdered sugar
Sugar
Eggs
Baking powder
All-purpose flour
Salt
Vanilla extract
Anise extract
Milk
Anise extract is a liquid flavoring from the anise plant. Its sweet and spicy flavor is a traditional flavor in Italian cuisine, and also has a way of balancing sweetness while packing a little punch.
What steps should I follow?
Here is a recipe for Italian Christmas cookies! Depending on the size of each cookie, this recipe will result in 36-48 cookies.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
Cream together 1 cup of butter, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and ½ cup of sugar until the mixture is fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
Add in 4 eggs, one at a time.
Mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of anise extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 3½ cups of flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to make a slightly sticky dough.
Shape your dough and place them on baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake in your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and cool.
Whisk together 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3-4 tablespoons of milk (a milk alternative works as well). Dip the tops of each cookie into this simple glaze. Let set.
Enjoy! The cookies can be stored in a container at room temperature for 1 week. If you’d like to pre-make them and prep them, they also can be put into the freezer!
How can I customize my cookies?
For those of you who may want to start a new tradition or family recipe, here are some ways to customize your cookies to your liking.
Shape: whether you want to go with circular cookies, twists, knots, or another unique shape, this is a great way to make your cookies unique and stand out on the dining room table.
Sprinkles: holiday sprinkles are a great way to create festive energy and will make a beautiful addition to your dining table!
Cookies & ___: these cookies go great with coffee or tea, if you’d like to serve them as a pairing.
Citrus: adding some citrus zest is a great way to freshen up this recipe.
Nuts: for some more texture, consider finely chopped nuts as a great addition to these cookies!
Glaze: peppermint extract can make a great glaze for these cookies! Other festive flavors can also be a nice surprise for that first bite.
We hope you enjoy your cookies! We can’t wait to hear what new holiday stories they bring you.
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