Description
Discover the joy of Italian Christmas Cookies with this classic recipe featuring tender, buttery dough baked to perfection and topped with sweet icing and festive sprinkles. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cookies embody traditional Italian flavors and bring a delightful charm to your cookie platter.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing and Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles, for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the perfect temperature for baking your cookies evenly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, stirring gently to form a smooth cookie dough.
- Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into small balls and place them evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack to firm up.
- Prepare Icing: Mix powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl until the icing is smooth and pourable.
- Decorate: Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies and immediately add sprinkles while the icing is still wet for a festive finish.
Notes
- For best results, soften butter to room temperature before creaming.
- You can add almond extract for a variation of flavor.
- Sprinkles add festive color but can be omitted or substituted with chopped nuts.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to one week.
- If the icing is too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time to reach desired consistency.
