Description
Crisp edges, soft centers, and a glossy almond glaze — these Best Italian Christmas Cookies are simple to make and impossible to resist. Quick intro: mix, chill, bake, and dunk in icing. Ready?
Ingredients
For the cookies
- ½ cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (use room temperature eggs for smoother mixing)
For the glaze
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk (add gradually)
- Nonpareil sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
In a bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder until even. Set it aside while you prep the rest. This keeps lumps out of your dough.
In a separate large bowl, beat the melted butter briefly, then add the sugar, eggs, and almond extract. Mix until the mixture looks well combined. It may be a little chunky at first — that’s fine. Use room-temperature eggs for better emulsion.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until the dough just comes together. Don’t overmix — overworking turns tender cookies into tough ones. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to shape and controls spreading.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled dough with a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon and roll into balls. The dough will feel sticky; damp hands help.
Place the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the sheet. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cookies set but don’t brown. Watch them closely — pull them out just before they look fully done for a soft center. Let the cookies cool completely before you ice them.
Put the sifted powdered sugar in a bowl. Add milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring until you reach a thick but pourable glaze. Mix in the almond extract. Sifting prevents lumps and gives a smooth finish.
Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch drips. Turn each cooled cookie upside down and dip the bottom into the glaze, or spoon glaze over the top — whichever you prefer. Let excess drip off, then flip the cookie right-side-up on the rack. Sprinkle immediately with nonpareils so they stick before the glaze skins over.
Notes
- Quick tips & reminders
- Chill the dough — it’s the secret to neat, evenly shaped cookies.
- Measure flour properly (spoon and level) to avoid dry cookies.
- Cool completely before glazing — warm cookies melt the icing.
- If you want a thicker glaze, use less milk; for a thinner glaze, add milk slowly.
- You can swap almond extract for vanilla if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Storage
- Store cooled, glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze unglazed, baked cookies for longer storage; glaze after thawing.