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Italian Christmas Cookies

Italian Christmas Cookies

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Italian Christmas Cookies Every December, my kitchen fills with the smell of butter and vanilla, and these Italian Christmas Cookies are always the first tray to disappear. They are soft, tender, and lightly sweet, with a glossy white glaze and a scatter of colorful nonpareil sprinkles on top.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 36 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons milk
Nonpareil sprinkles, for decoration

Instructions

Cookie Dough
1-Whisk together flour and baking powder, and: Whisk together flour and baking powder, and set aside.
2-In a large mixing bowl, cream butter,: In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla extract and sugar.
3-Add the eggs, one at a time,: Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition to combine.
4-Add in the flour mixture and mix: Add in the flour mixture and mix to combine.
5-Knead until dough is firm and not: Knead until dough is firm and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary. Do not overdo it with flour, the dough will firm after chilling.
6-Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap: Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an 1 hour.
7-Preheat the oven to 375°F, line baking: Preheat the oven to 375°F, line baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
8-To shape the cookies, you can simply: To shape the cookies, you can simply roll them into a 1-inch ball, and arrange them onto a baking sheet. Or you can shape them into a swirl. Cut off small amount of dough and roll on floured surface into 6 inch long strips (about 1/3-1/2 inch thick). Pinch one edge and begin to twirl the rest of the rope around that edge until you form a circle, and tuck the edge under the cookie.
9-Place the cookies on the prepared baking: Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
10-Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes (the: Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned but the tops should remain light).
11-Remove cookies to wire rack and cool: Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.

Glaze
12-Combine the vanilla extract, milk and sugar: Combine the vanilla extract, milk and sugar. Mix until smooth. You want the glaze thick, but still runny. If it is too thick add more milk, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar.
13-Dip the tops of the cooled cookies: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze. Let some of the excess glaze run back into the bowl. Place the dipped cookie on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the top with nonpareil sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. The glaze will dry completely in about 30 to 60 minutes.

Last Step:

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  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Method: bake