This is my favorite Italian Christmas Cookies recipe. These soft cookies that are coated with an almond-flavored glaze, then topped with festive sprinkles. They make the perfect holiday treat and is one one that my whole family loves.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- It is a big batch Italian cookie recipe making it perfect for the holiday season and cookie exchange parties.
- These cookies are soft and have a buttery almond flavor and make a delicious addition to cookie trays.
- These are not only great for the holiday season but also special occasions such as potlucks, church events, or just because.
🥘 Ingredients
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*Please see recipe card for full ingredient list and instructions*
All-purpose flour
Confectioners Sugar
Butter Flavored Vegetable Shortening, I like to use this to have buttery flavor with a softer cookie that has a cake like texture.
Large Eggs
Fun Christmas Cookie Sprinkles
🥘 Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links.
*Please see recipe card for full ingredient list and instructions*
All-purpose flour
Confectioners Sugar
Butter Flavored Vegetable Shortening
Large Eggs
Fun Christmas Cookie Sprinkles
🔪 INSTRUCTIONS
For the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until light and foamy. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- On low speed, gradually beat the vegetable shortening and extracts until combined. Gradually mix in the beaten eggs.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff. If it is not stiff enough to roll into a cookie ball, gradually add more flour beginning with ½ cup. (This is where the extra cup of flour comes in). If still not stiff enough, gradually add remaining half cup. By this time the cookie dough should be stiff enough to shape into a cookie ball.
- Scoop dough with a 1 tablespoon sized cookie scoop. Then roll dough into balls. Place the cookies at least 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies at 12 minutes, until dough is no longer wet on top and bottom of cookies are slightly brown.
For the icing:
- While the cookies are baking, make the icing. In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip two or three times into the glaze.
- Place on a wire rack with wax paper beneath it to drain and immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry 24 hours. Place in airtight containers to store.
🥄 Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Cookie sheets
Parchment paper
Electric hand mixer
Small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon sized)
👪 Serving size
Yield is approximately 4-½ dozen (56) cookies. Two cookies are equal to one serving.
🥫Storage
Air-dry the cookies on a cooling rack for 24 hours then store the cookies on the counter or fridge for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Substitute room temperature butter for the shortening.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon spice to the flour mixture.
- Use orange extract and substitute orange juice for the heavy cream in the glaze.
- Sprinkle with colored sugars instead of jimmies.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the almond extract.
- For Italian Lemon Cookies, substitute lemon extract and sprinkle lemon zest over the top of the iced cookie.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon of the light cream for honey in the glaze.
💭 Tips
- Sift the flour first, then lightly spoon it into the measuring cups, leveling it off with a knife before combining with the sugar.
- Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, stirring until well combined after each addition.
- If the dough starts to become stiff before all of the flour mixture is added, then don’t add any more flour.
- Frost the cookies while they are still warm by dipping them in the bowl of icing. This allows the icing to seep into the cookie.
- Sprinkle with the colored jimmies immediately after you dip the cookie in the icing.
- If the glaze seems too thin, add more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until it is at the desired consistency.
📚 Related Recipes
Chewy Mocha Toffee Chip Cookies
Triple Chocolate Ricotta Cookies
The Best 25 Christmas Cookie Recipes
The Best M&M Pretzel Cookies for Santa
🍽 Serve with...
Serve these cookies with a tall glass of cold milk or hot cup of coffee or tea.
🏫 The last word
Not everyone loves the traditional anise flavor of this Italian christmas cookie recipe, so I used almond and vanilla extract in its place.
Making there Italian classic has become a regular family tradition.
I was curious about the origin of Italian Christmas Cookies. All I really knew was they were also called Italian Wedding Cookies. I did an online search to find out exactly where these came from. I really couldn't come up with anything other than recipes, so I went to Wikipedia and found a whole list of cookies! There were 9 cookies that were labeled Italian. Not a single cookie on that list of 9 cookie recipes came close. So, while these are called Italian Christmas Cookies, I am not exactly sure why.
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Italian Christmas Cookies
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 6 large large eggs
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar powdered sugar
- 2½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- ½ tablespoon lemon extract
For the Glaze:
- 4½ cups confectioner's sugar
- ½ cup warm light cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- colored sprinkles
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until light and foamy. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- On low speed, gradually beat the vegetable shortening and extracts until combined. Gradually mix in the beaten eggs.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff. If it is not stiff enough to roll into a cookie ball, gradually add more flour beginning with ½ cup. (This is where the extra cup of flour comes in).
- If still not stiff enough, gradually add remaining half cup. By this time the cookie dough should be stiff enough to shape into a cookie ball.
- Scoop dough with a 1 tablespoon sized cookie scoop. Then roll dough into balls. Place the cookies at least 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies at 12 minutes, until dough is no longer wet on top and bottom of cookies are slightly brown.
For the icing:
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, cream, and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip two or three times into the glaze.
- Place on a wire rack with wax paper beneath it to drain and immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry 24 hours before storing in an airtight container.
Debbie
Hi, if I wanted to use anise, does it replace both the almond and vanilla or just one of them? Thanks
Shelby Law Ruttan
There is almond in the cookie dough and the icing. If you want to replace in the cookie dough, I would say yes. I don't think I would add anise to the icing. I think it would be overpowering. This is a large batch recipe, so I would stick with the tablespoon in the dough and leave out the lemon. For the icing, I would probably just use vanilla and skip the almond in the icing if using anise in the dough. I hope that was helpful!
Valerie
What a perfect Christmas cookie recipe. Rather than convection bake, I baked my 66 cookies on the regular baking temp on a baking mat. The glaze was so easy and I had plenty for all the cookies. And, they are beautiful as they dry to put into containers for friends and family. Oh, yes. I stopped using Crisco after open-heart surgery in 2010, but I added a 1/4 C. of Smart Balance to the butter.
No dryness, just one happy baker
Carmin
I made these today; followed the recipe with a slight variation in that I added 2 tsp almond extract to the icing instead of vanilla and almond. What's interesting to me is that my batch made 104 cookies rather than the estimated 56 (the uncooked balls were 1" each). I also went through 3 batches of glaze; 2 makes sense since for some reason the cookie quantity was double...I'm not sure why three. I went through a lot of powdered sugar!! My resident quality tester tried one and then came back for two more, so I assume they passed the taste test!!
Rose
I love your butter version of this recipe. Can you be more specific on the kind of shortening? What brand do you use? Thanks
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Rose, I use crisco vegetable shortening. Thanks for stopping by! Shelby
Linda
Can I make these all lemon with lemon icing?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Linda, yes, you can use lemon icing. Enjoy!
Alex
What festive cookies! I know my kid would just love these. I'm saving these for Christmas!
Erin
What a fun treat! I've never had these before but I so want to try them after reading this. I especially love how colorful they are!
Enriqueta E Lemoine
I made your Christmas cookies yesterday and we're all in love. The only thing I did differently was skipping the confetti. A new staple in my kitchen. Thanks for the recipe.
Tristin
Adding almond extract to cookies is one of my favorite things to do. These cookies are going to be a great addition to the cookie table this Christmas!!
NATALIA
These are easy to make and taste great, what more could you want in a cookie! Thanks for sharing!
Petro
These look so good! I love Christmas recipes, I'll make these soon!
Michele
I made this batch for the family and they were gone in no time. I will be baking these again for Christmas. I anticipate that they will be on my holiday baking list every year!
Allyssa
This taste so delicious and really flavorful! So easy to make as well, thanks a lot for sharing this amazing christmas cookies recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Kathryn
I would make and eat these cookies year round! I love the sprinkles and how easy they are to make. Definitely adding these to my list of cookies to bake this season!
Donna
I made these cookies today. I did half butter flavor Crisco and half butter, thinking they would have a richer flavor. They tasted great but aware pretty dry. Did the butter make them dry?
Shelby Law Ruttan
Donna, Butter will definitely make the cookie firmer and probably is the reason they were pretty dry. I too love cooking with butter, but this cookie I always use all crisco. Thanks for trying the recipe! Shelby
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli
Pretty and festive with the sprinkles! They are already putting us in the Holiday mood 😉 !
Karen
Can I make the dough and freeze it to make them at a later date? I think freezing the baked cookie alters the fresh baked flavor.
Thanks.
Shelby
Hi Karen, Freezing it will not alter the taste of the baked cookie unless you freeze them too long. I would think 3-4 weeks would be fine in an airtight container. I have frozen these before. However, you can shape the dough into balls and then freeze the balls. Take them out to bake when you're ready. Your baking time may change because they are frozen, but I'm fairly certain it would work.
Nikki
We love to make cookies for Christmas! I love the almond and lemon in these!
Alice
Best cookies I’ve ever made
My grandkids loved them.
Shelby Law Ruttan
Hi Alice, so glad you and your grandkids enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for coming back and giving it a rating! Shelby
Ellen
Such a pretty and festive cookie. This will make a lovely addition to my holiday cookie tins.
Anne Lawton
These cookies are so festive looking - just perfect for the holidays!