Description
These traditional Italian cookies are perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a delightful twist. Light, soft, and slightly puffy, these cookies feature a subtle anise flavor and are topped with a sweet glaze and colorful sprinkles, making them a fun and festive treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons anise extract (can use vanilla or lemon extract instead)
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- Colorful sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature before baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Prepare Wet Mixture. Melt the butter and shortening together in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the granulated sugar to the melted butter mixture and stir well to combine. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg fully before adding the next. Mix in the anise extract for flavor.
- Add Dry Ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing only until just blended. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, add a bit more flour until it’s soft but manageable.
- Shape Cookies. Roll the dough into small balls. Because of the baking powder, the cookies will puff up noticeably in the oven. Place these balls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spaced apart.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Watch for the bottoms to become lightly browned while the tops remain pale. Once done, remove from oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze. In a bowl, gradually mix milk into the sifted confectioners’ sugar to create a thick glaze. It should be thick enough to coat the cookies without dripping excessively.
- Glaze and Decorate. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze, then immediately sprinkle with colorful jimmies or nonpareils while the glaze is still wet. Work in batches of 10-12 cookies, placing them back on the wire rack with wax paper underneath for easy clean-up. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- For alternative flavors, substitute anise extract with vanilla or lemon extract.
- If dough is too sticky, add flour sparingly to avoid tough cookies.
- Do not grease the cookie sheets to help cookies spread properly and develop a better texture.
- Sprinkling colorful decorations while the glaze is wet ensures good adhesion.
- These cookies yield about 60 small cookies; adjust dough ball size to make fewer larger cookies.
