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Italian Easter Cookies Recipe

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4.4 from 88 reviews

These Italian Easter Cookies are soft, buttery, and lightly flavored with almond and vanilla extracts. Perfectly tender with a sweet glaze topping that can be customized with colorful food coloring and sprinkles, these traditional cookies bring festive cheer and delicious flavor to your holiday celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 3 eggs, room temperature

Glaze and Decoration

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 3 tablespoons milk or cream (for glaze)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (for glaze)
  • Liquid food coloring (for decorating)
  • Sprinkles (for decorating)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside to ensure your cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly to combine all the leavening and seasoning evenly throughout the flour.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale in color, which usually takes a few minutes.
  4. Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, mixing on medium-low speed after each addition until fully incorporated, ensuring a smooth batter without curdling.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
  6. Shape Cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop or about 1½ tablespoons of dough, portion the dough and roll it into balls with your hands. Place the balls evenly spaced about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  7. Bake: Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once done, let cookies rest on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk or cream, and almond extract until smooth with no lumps.
  9. Color the Glaze: Divide the glaze evenly into multiple bowls based on how many colors you desire. Tint each portion with liquid food coloring to your preferred shades.
  10. Glaze and Decorate Cookies: Once cookies are fully cooled, carefully dip them into the colored glaze and decorate with sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set on a plate before serving. For a deeper glaze color, double dip the cookies as desired.

Notes

  • Use room temperature eggs for better incorporation and smoother dough.
  • Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to prevent tough cookies.
  • The glaze can be customized with as many colors as you like using food coloring.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before glazing to prevent melt or sogginess.
  • Consider double dipping in glaze for a richer coating and more vibrant color.
  • Store glazed cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Keywords: Italian Easter Cookies, almond glaze cookies, holiday cookies, soft sugar cookies, festive cookies, traditional Italian dessert

Find it online: https://ricoloranz.com/italian-easter-cookies-recipe/