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Italian Christmas Cookies

Italian Christmas Cookies

These Italian Christmas cookies combine 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, anise extract, powdered sugar, milk, and rainbow nonpareils. You bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, cool them completely, then dip them in anise glaze and decorate them with sprinkles. Make these Italian Christmas cookies for a cookie exchange, holiday party, or Christmas dessert table when you need a traditional italian christmas cookie recipe.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 48 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 286
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 15 ounce container Ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3-4 Tablespoons cream or milk (warmed)
  • Christmas sprinkles

Equipment

  • Cookie scoop
  • Baking sheets
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat the Oven
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside. Whisking helps distribute the baking powder throughout the flour and prevents concentrated pockets in the finished cookies.
  3. Cream the Sugar and Eggs
    In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together for about 2 minutes, until light, fluffy, and pale yellow. You can use either a hand mixer or a whisk. The mixture should look slightly thicker and airy.
  4. Add the Wet Ingredients
    Pour in the cooled melted butter and add the anise extract. Beat until everything is well combined. Make sure the melted butter has cooled before adding it to the eggs to prevent them from cooking.
  5. Combine the Ingredients
    Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cookies tough.
  6. Scoop and Bake
    Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops should remain pale, which is completely normal for these cookies.
  7. Cool the Cookies
    Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before glazing. If the cookies are still warm, the glaze will melt and run off instead of setting properly.
  8. Prepare the Glaze
    In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and anise extract until smooth. The glaze should have a thick, glue-like consistency. If it is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If it becomes too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
  9. Glaze and Decorate
    Dip the top of each completely cooled cookie into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the glazed cookies on a wire rack and immediately decorate with rainbow nonpareil sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before storing or serving the cookies.