Italian Easter Biscuits Recipes

ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES (BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Cream together shortening and white sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well after each. Add 2 teaspoons anise extract and vanilla extract. Slowly add milk and mix until all ingredients are blended. Slowly add flour mixture, and mix until thick but creamy. Place dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Coat a work surface and hands with flour. Take a quarter-sized piece of dough and roll into a long narrow sausage shape. Form into desired shapes, such as "s" shapes, twists, candy canes, letters, etc. Cookies will puff up when baked, so be sure each cookie is only about the width of a pinky finger. Place cookies on a baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden in color and golden brown on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons anise extract. Mix in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and creamy and not too drippy. Coat cooled cookies with icing and top with sprinkles.

ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 cup milk and oil. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the wet mixture. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls out into ropes about 5 inches long. Tie into loose knots and place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5 minutes on the bottom shelf and 5 minutes on the top shelf of the preheated oven, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. When cookies are cool, dip them into the icing.
• To make the icing, cream together the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extracts. Beat in 3 tablespoons milk, one tablespoon at a time, then stir in the food coloring if desired.

EASY EASTER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the egg yolk, lemon zest and nutmeg and beat again.
• Add the flour, salt and currants and mix everything together to make a firm dough, using your hands if necessary. Form into a puck-shape, wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment and lightly dust your work surface with flour. Cut the dough in half and roll out to a ½ cm thickness. Cut out biscuits using a 6cm fluted cutter, lift onto one of the baking sheets with a palette knife, leaving a little space in between. Repeat with the remaining pastry to make a second tray of biscuits, re-rolling the off-cuts. Chill for 30 mins.
• Bake for 7 mins, then remove from the oven, brush with egg white, sprinkle with extra sugar and return to the oven for 7-8 mins or until lightly golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for 5 mins then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN-STYLE DROP BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the biscuit mix, cheese and chiles. Stir in water until a soft dough forms. , Drop dough into six mounds in a small ungreased cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Bake at 450° until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine the butter, parsley, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Brush over biscuits. Serve warm.