Description
These classic Italian Cookies offer a delightful almond or anise flavor with a soft, crumbly texture. Lightly sweetened and topped with a simple powdered sugar icing and festive sprinkles, they’re perfect for celebrations or everyday treats. The recipe yields about 24 cookies with a quick prep and baking time.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (melted and cooled)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or anise extract (or to taste)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Icing and Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract or anise extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk (as needed)
- Nonpareils or sprinkles (for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Place the melted and cooled vegetable shortening into a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar and your choice of almond or anise extract. Using an electric mixer, blend these together thoroughly. Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt to ensure they are evenly distributed.
- Form Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, beating continuously until a soft dough forms. The dough should be manageable for scooping but still soft.
- Shape Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls roughly 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons in size. Place the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow room for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking at 8 minutes; the tops should crack but remain light in color, and the bottoms should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before icing.
- Prepare Icing: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon almond or anise extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir well until smooth. Add additional milk ¼ teaspoon at a time to reach an icing consistency that is thin enough to drizzle but not too runny.
- Ice and Decorate: Once the cookies have cooled, dip the top of each cookie into the prepared icing. Shake off any excess icing and place the cookies back onto the wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with nonpareils or sprinkles. Let the icing set at room temperature before serving or storing.
Notes
- You can substitute almond extract with anise extract depending on your flavor preference.
- Make sure the shortening is melted and cooled before mixing to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Check the cookies early in the baking time to prevent over-baking, as they should remain light-colored on top.
- For firmer icing, use less milk; for thinner icing, add milk gradually.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
