Italian Christmas Cookies
Italian Christmas Cookies are sweet, tender cookies with an almond-flavored glaze and colorful, festive sprinkles. They will be the perfect addition to your list of Christmas cookies! Check out my Snowball Cookies for another popular holiday treat!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Dough: The cookie dough is a simple recipe made with many ingredients you probably already have on hand with adding almond or anise extract.
Extract: I added almond extract to the cookie dough and glaze. For the traditional Italian Christmas cookies, anise extract (like the flavor of black licorice) is used in the dough, which you can certainly use in this recipe. Or, try the cookies with a different extract! It’s easy to experiment with different flavors like peppermint, orange, or lemon extract.
Glaze: The simple glaze is added to the top of each cookie. Like with the dough, you could use almond or anise extracts.
Sprinkles (Nonpareils): Grab your most festive sprinkles to add a little color and holiday spirit to the cookies!
Why Chill The Dough?
Chilling the dough is an important step in this recipe. Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for about an hour before baking helps the cookies keep their higher shape without spreading out when baked.
Can I Make The Dough Ahead Of Time?
Sure! Once you get the cookie dough mixed together, wrap it in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Or, freeze the dough for up to 2-3 months! To freeze, form the dough into balls. Then, freeze until solid and store them in a freezer-safe bag for 2-3 months. Let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
How To Store Italian Christmas Cookies
Once baked, Italian Christmas Cookies can be stored at room temperature or in the freezer.
Room Temperature: Store the baked cookies, with or without the glaze, in an airtight container. They will last up to 5 days.
To Freeze: To freeze Italian Christmas Cookies, I recommend freezing the cookies without the glaze. They will last up to 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Let them thaw before adding the glaze and sprinkles.
Ingredients
Cookies
▢2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour▢2 teaspoons baking powder▢¼ teaspoon kosher salt▢6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened▢½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar▢1 ½ teaspoons almond extract, or anise extract▢2 large eggs, room temperature
Glaze
▢1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar▢2-3 tablespoons whole milk▢½ teaspoon almond extract, or anise extract▢⅓ cup Christmas sprinkles (nonpareils)
Instructions
