Reader’s Recipes: Susan’s Italian Cookies
User Reviews
3.4
Reader’s Recipes: Susan’s Italian Cookies
Description
Reader’s Recipes: Susan’s Italian Cookies bring a lightly flavored cookie to the table, featuring extracts like lemon or anise to highlight the subtle sweetness of the dough. The dough is mixed until smooth, rolled into small balls, and baked gently to avoid browning, preserving a soft crumb. After cooling, the cookies are topped with a vanilla butter-based frosting thinned to a drizzling consistency, which is immediately decorated with colored sugars or sprinkles for visual appeal. Baking at 350°F for under 11 minutes ensures a tender result.
The frosting complements the mild cookie texture by adding moisture and sweetness without overwhelming the extract flavors. These cookies can be served at room temperature and decorated according to occasion, making them versatile for gatherings and holidays.
Preparing double the frosting allows for a spreadable version if you prefer a thicker coating. The baked cookie base can also be frozen plain and frosted later for convenience. Using authentic anise extract offers a traditional flavor variation aligned with certain Italian styles.
Ingredients
cookies
- 4 egg
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract or anise extract
- 4 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 4 cups flour
frosting
- 3 Tbsp butter melted and cooled
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- milk as needed
- colored sprinkles and/or
- colored sugar and/or
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and lemon or anise extract.
- Mix in the baking powder, salt, and flour until well combined.
- Roll dough into 1" balls and place about 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 9 - 11 minutes (cookies should not brown).
- Place on wire rack to cool. Then frost and decorate as described below.
- To make the frosting, whisk together the butter and vanilla and then whisk in enough confectioners sugar to make a frosting. Add about a tablespoon of milk at a time until you get a drizzling consistency.
- Liberally drizzle over cookies and immediately sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles. Leave until frosting sets.
Notes
- Consider doubling the frosting recipe and adding more milk to achieve a spreadable consistency if preferred over drizzle.
- You can freeze the plain baked cookies and frost them when ready to serve to save time before events.
- For a more traditional Italian flavor, use authentic anise extract in place of lemon extract.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 54cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 101 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 101kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.04g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 10mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 45mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.3g | 1% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 37IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 16mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.4
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