Italian Easter Cookies

 Italian Easter Cookies

Italian Easter Cookies are frosted soft-batch cookies flavored with vanilla and almond extract. Traditionally, they are flavored with anise instead of almond extract. Did you Know? Anise has a distinctive taste, a bit sweet with licorice undertones.

Italian Cookies

Cook's notes: These delicate cake-like cookies are glazed with icing and topped with colorful candy sprinkles. They have a mild anise flavoring, which is very typical of Italian baked goods. Almond extract is an optional choice. The cookies are the perfect bites of sweetness for this time of year, and it is hard to stop at just one. Adding sprinkles makes them all the more festive for your Easter tray or with a cup of tea. The recipe is adapted from theItaliankitchen.com and makes 36 cookies
Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (one and a half sticks)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• food coloring and sprinkles

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet pan with parchment or baking mat; set aside.
• In a large bowl or stand-up mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and eggs until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until well combined and a dough forms.
• Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Use a cookie scoop to measure out one-inch balls of dough. Roll in your hands to form a ball. Place about two inches apart on the cookie sheet pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. The cookies will not change much in color. Cool on the cooling rack completely before frosting.

Frosting

• Whisk together the milk, butter, and extracts in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and without lumps. 
• Divide the frosting into 3 small bowls and stir in food coloring to each bowl. 
• Flip over the cooled cookies and dip the tops in the frosting. Return to the cooling rack and top each cookie individually with sprinkles. Let the frosting dry completely before serving or stacking.
  

Cooking Tips:

• Use room-temperature butter so that the batter is smooth.
• I like to use a combination of almond and vanilla extract here. You can omit the almond extract if you don't like the flavor.
• The cookies will not change color much when baked. Be careful not to overbake the cookies.
• Only apply frosting to cooled cookies.
• To store these cookies, make sure the frosting has had a chance to set completely. It can take an hour or so for the frosting to set. Then, you can place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator until they are ready to eat.