This lightly flavored anise Italian Christmas Cookies recipe is the best we've ever tasted. The buttery caky cookie melts in your mouth. The glaze and nonpareil sprinkles give the biscotti an elegant and festive look. They're so colorful on your cookie tray and a real welcome at any cookie excange.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- these cookies are simple to make yet look very elegant on the holiday cookie trays with the sweet glaze and colorful sprinkles covering them.
- the biscotti's taste and texture is wonderful. The buttery dough tastes like freshly baked sugar cookies.
- with their festive look, they're popular at cookies exchange and swaps.
I was so happy to finally find this recipe. It was my Nonna Lucia's special biscotto recipe she'd bake and share during the holiday season and major family events. I know you're going to love these special melt-in-your mouth cookies as much as we do.
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of Nonna Lucia's Italian Christmas Cookie recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are in the recipe card below.
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Anise extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Confectioner's sugar
- Milk
- Colorful sprinkles
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions for The Italian Christmas Cookies are in the recipe card below.
- Over a medium-size mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the flour mixture.
- Mix in all of the flour, then transfer the dough to your counter or bread board. Knead until the dough is firm and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Using a small cookie scoop, or just eyeballing it, cut off a small amount of dough and roll on a floured surface into a 6-inch strip.
- Pinch one edge and begin to twirl the rest of the rope around that edge.
- Continue to wrap that cookie rope until you form a circle.
- Tuck the edge under the cookie.
- Place the spirals on a parchment lined cookie sheet or on a Silpat liner.
- Bake at 375℉ for 8-10 minutes. The bottom should be a light brown and the top a light tan.
- Remove cookies to wire rack and let cool completely. Measure the confectioner's sugar and place in small mixing bowl.
- Combine the anise extract and the milk with the sugar.
- Mix until just smooth.
- You want the glaze more thick than thin, but still runny.
- Dip the tops of the cooled Christmas cookies into the glaze.
- Let some of the excess glaze run back into the bowl. Place the dipped cookie on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle the colored sugar on the cookie tops.
- The cookies will dry in about 30 to 60 minutes.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Sifter
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Small cookie scoop
- Cookie sheets
- Cooling rack
- Parchment paper
🤔 FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the Italian Christmas Cookies recipe.
Yes they can. It's best to freeze the cookies before glazing them. The sugar sprinkles look best when they aren't frozen. The colors in the sprinkles may run when the biscotti thaw.
These Christmas cookies have a mild anise taste with a sweet sugar glaze. Other Italian holiday cookies can have an almond, lemon, or vanilla taste. There are many different types of holiday cookies, some plain and some are filled with fruit and nuts.
The most important of the Natale meals, Christmas Day lunch, can last for hours. Christmas Day is typically meat-based whereas Christmas Eve is meatless or seafood-based. Natale lunch begins with a classic antipasto spread featuring dry cured meats, salumi, fine Italian cheeses, briny olives, artichokes and more. The first course is pasta that varies by region. In Southern and Central Italy, baked pasta is a must. In Northern Italy, Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like manicotti and ravioli are traditional on the Christmas menu. Next comes the main event, which is the meat. Roasted veal, baked chicken, sausages or braised beef are common Natale entrées.
A lot depends on the region in Italy, but what seems to be very popular throughout Italy are the Amaretti. These are almond-flavored biscotti. The name comes from the Italian word ‘Amaro’, which means bitter. This is in reference to the strong flavor of bitter almonds which are normally used in the recipe, together with egg whites and sugar.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Be sure your butter is at room temperature, not melted. At a soft consistency It will be easy to mix.
- Don't overmix the dough. Once the ingredients are together, stop mixing. Over mixing will make make them tough.
- You do need to chill the dough. This helps all the flavors meld together as well as keeping the dough from spreading while baking.
- If the dough is too sticky for you to work with, use some cooking spray on your hands while you roll the dough balls.
- These cookies should be a light brown on the bottom and the top a light tan. You don't want to over bake the biscotti.
- Let the cookies cool before dipping in the glaze. If the cookies are still warm, they'll absorb some of the icing, which you want to remain on top for the Nonna Lucia's perfect Italian Christmas Cookie.
- Sprinkle the colored sugar on the cookies immediately after glazing them.
📚 Variations
- Use vanilla, almond, orange, peppermint, or even lemon extracts in the cookie and glaze.
- Top with different colored sprinkles for any occasion. Think Mother's Day, bridal or baby showers.
- Top with crushed candy canes for a peppermint crunch. It would be a lovely holiday touch.
🥫 Storage
It's best to store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep up to three months in the freezer and about seven days in a food storage container in your pantry or counter. Remember that it's best to freeze the biscotti unglazed so that the sprinkles keep their pretty color.
📗 Related Recipes
These cookies look beautiful on the cookie tray next to the Italian S cookies. And if you're looking for some additional color and variety on the the dessert table, these cookies go well with Chocolate Drizzled Pistachio Biscotti. For the chocolate lover, these Chocolate Candy Truffles make a gorgeous pairing next to the Italian Christmas cookies. And when you're looking for a gluten-free cookie that is almond flavored and an Italian classic, check out our Ricciarelli recipe.
If you're undecided about which flavor to make, try our Neapolitan cookies that include vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavored stripes.
These Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies look so gorgeous they may steal the show at a cookie exchange. Another cookie to include at the cookie swap is the beautiful jam-filled Pizzicati or pinch cookies.
🍽 Serve with
These Italian Christmas cookies go perfectly with this Cherry Almond no-churn ice cream Or if you're a chocolate lover, they compliment the Chocolate Nutella Ice Cream. You can even serve Nonna Lucia's Italian Christmas Cookie recipe with an Amaretto liqueur or even our Heavenly Irish Cream. This Anise Christmas cookie recipe will go with just about everything. Try them and see for yourself.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
There is just something about the holidays or special occasions whereby you want traditional and classical recipes. It's our link to the past. It's part of our history. I didn't know my grandmother but by recreating her recipe I'm carrying on her memory and keeping her spirit alive.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
This is the type of Old-fashioned Italian cookie recipe you could make throughout the year. Yes! It's that good. Change the colors of the sprinkles and make it match whatever special occasion you're celebrating. You don't want it flavored with anise? Not a problem. Use whatever flavor tickles your fancy.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Nonna Lucia's Italian Christmas Cookies
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Unsalted butter 1 stick or 4 ounces
- 2 teaspoons Anise extract
- 3 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
Glaze
- 2 cups Confectioner's Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Anise extract
- 3 Tablespoons Milk may need more depending on consistency.
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Mix in the anise. Add in the flour mixture.
- Knead until dough is firm and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary.
- Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Cut off small amount of dough and roll on floured surface into 6 inch strips.
- Twirl into shape and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Bake at 375℉ for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned byt the tops should remain light.
- Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
Glaze
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl until just smooth. You want it more thick than thin, but still runny.
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, then return to the wire rack, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides of the cookies.
- Top with sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. Let dry.
Notes
- Be sure your butter is at room temperature, not melted. At a soft consistency It will be easy to mix.
- Don't overmix the dough. Once the ingredients are together, stop mixing. Over mixing will make make them tough.
- You do need to chill the dough. This helps all the flavors meld together as well as keeping the dough from spreading while baking.
- If the dough is too sticky for you to work with, use some cooking spray on your hands while you roll the dough balls.
- These cookies should be a light brown on the bottom and the top a light tan. You don't want to over bake the biscotti.
- Let the cookies cool before dipping in the glaze. If the cookies are still warm, they'll absorb some of the icing, which you want to remain on top for the Nonna Lucia's perfect Italian Christmas Cookie.
- Sprinkle the colored sugar on the cookies immediately after glazing them.
Nutrition
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