Italian Sugar Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, add the cold butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix at low speed for a few seconds until the butter is all chopped up.
• Add the egg, flour, and baking powder and mix again for a minute or two until the dough starts coming together.
• Divide the mix into 2 bowls and in one add the cocoa powder. Knead well with your hands until the dough comes together into a smooth and solid ball. At this point, it shouldn't crumble anymore.
• Cover both doughs in plastic wrap and flatten it into a disk so it will be easier to roll out.
• Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven at 350°F / 180°C.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a wooden board or table dusted with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick and cut out the shapes with cookie cutters.
• Transfer the cookies to a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
• Take them out of the oven and transfer them immediately (carefully!) to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely before you decorate them.
• You can melt a couple of tablespoons of dark chocolate for a minute in the microwave and drizzle the melted chocolate on the cookies with a teaspoon.

TENDER ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Shape dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For icing, in a small bowl, combine milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Dip tops of cookies in icing; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

ITALIAN COOKIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture until blended. Divide dough into walnut sized portions. Roll each piece into a rope and then shape into a loop. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm and golden at the edges.

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, softened butter, ricotta cheese and lemon peel with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Stir in vanilla. On low speed, beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Using floured fingers, shape dough into 54 (1-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In small bowl, beat powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Using knife, spread 1/2 teaspoon frosting on each cooled cookie; immediately top with sprinkles. Let stand about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature.

ITALIAN S COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Position rack to middle.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on medium-high speed until nice and frothy (about 3-4 minutes).
• Slowly add sugar. Continue to whisk until well combined and slightly thickened (about 2 minutes).
• Add the oil, extract, and zest. Combine well.
• Remove bowl from stand.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined, dough will be soft.
• Scoop dough with a medium-sized cookie scoop and drop on a lightly floured surface (approximately 2 tablespoon or 25 grams).
• Roll out each piece in a 4-5 inch strand about ½ inch in diameter.
• Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and form into an S shape.
• Brush the tops of cookies with egg yolk mixture.
• OPTIONAL: sprinkle with sugar
• Bake for 15-17 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (this is a pale cookie).
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Add buttermilk, flavor extracts, baking soda and cream of tarter and blend well.
• Now by hand with a wooden spoon, add flour 1 cup at a time until the mixture is stiff.
• Drop from heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. If not icing you may press on the nuts or sprinkles now (or you can ice or frost and decorate with sprinkles after baking).
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven, center oven rack, 10 to 13 minutes or until cookie edges are slightly brown and tops look set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Overbaking cause dry, hard cookies.
• Carefully remove to rack to cool. Frost or decorate as desired.
• Notes: recipe may be halved, cookies freeze well, for best baking use an insulated baking sheet as these tend to burn on the bottom. Store airtight.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN BREAKFAST COOKIES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.In a medium bowl beat together egg and sugar until light and frothy (2-3 minutes). Add milk, oil and vanilla, beat well.Add flour mixture a little at a time and mix with a wooden spoon (do not beat).Remove to a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently until combined. Dough will be slightly sticky so don't over flour.Remove pieces of dough to form into oblong shapes (approximately 2-2 1/2" x 3/4" - 6 1/2 x 2 centimeters) roll in granulated sugar and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

SOFT ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together (I use a whisk) and gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Shape dough into 1-1/2" balls.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool after 2 minutes.
• ****FOR ICING****.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Tint with food coloring (I prefer the gel) if desired.
• ****DECORATING****.
• Dip the cooled cookies into the icing.
• Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired.
• Place on waxed paper until icing is set.