Description
Festive Italian Christmas Cookies bring joy to holiday celebrations with their delicate, powdery sweetness. Memories of family gatherings and traditional baking techniques shine through each carefully crafted bite you’ll treasure.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 6 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp extract (almond, anise, or vanilla)
- 1 pinch salt
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp extract (almond or vanilla)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3–4 tbsps cream or milk (warmed)
- christmas sprinkles (for decoration)
Instructions
- Craft a creamy base by vigorously whisking eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and chosen extract in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended and smooth.
- Gradually fold in flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring consistently until a uniform, soft dough emerges that pulls away from bowl edges.
- Gently form compact dough spheres using a tablespoon, arranging them on a chilled tray. Refrigerate for 60 minutes or quick-freeze for 15-20 minutes to enhance structural integrity.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Position chilled dough balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them evenly to prevent merging during baking.
- Bake precisely 9 minutes until cookie edges turn delicately golden while maintaining a pristine white top surface. Edges should appear slightly firm.
- Transfer freshly baked cookies onto wire cooling racks, allowing complete temperature reduction before embellishing.
- Prepare glossy glaze by whisking powdered sugar, extract, salt, and warm cream until achieving a silky, pourable consistency.
- Immerse cookie tops into glaze, allowing excess to drip. Immediately sprinkle festive decorations before glaze solidifies.
- Rest cookies until glaze sets completely, creating a beautiful, glossy Christmas treat.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain the cookies’ shape during baking.
- Experiment with different extracts like almond, vanilla, or lemon to create unique flavor variations that suit different palates.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smoother mixing and more consistent dough texture, which helps achieve a more even bake.
- Make these cookies gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend, keeping the delicate texture intact.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 157
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 56 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg