Iced Italian Cookies Food

ITALIAN COOKIES WITH ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in almond extract. Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time; mix on low speed until incorporated. Roll batter into teaspoon-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While cookies are baking, beat confectioners' sugar, milk, and almond extract for icing in a bowl until smooth.
• Set cooled cookies close together on a cookie sheet. Frost with icing and sprinkle with nonpareils.

ICED ITALIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until soft and creamy.
• Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
• Combine flour and baking powder, then blend into the butter mixture.
• Break off small, walnut sized pieces of dough and shape into bows, braids, knots,"s" shapes, or any shape you desire.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.
• Cool on wire racks,then ice as desired.
• Icing: Blend sugar and your choice of flavoring, adding milk slowly to form a soft, smooth icing (some ice the cookies while they are still warm, others wait until they are cooled).
• Sprinkle with colored sugar or confettini (tiny multi-colored sprinkles) before icing sets.

ITALIAN ALMOND-ICED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 baking pans. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil, vanilla, almond extract and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, form into logs 1-inch in diameter. Working in batches if necessary, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices and arrange the cookies on the sheet pans. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
• Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg white, confectioners' sugar and almond extract until smooth. Divide the icing into one large and two smaller batches. Leave the large batch of icing white; color the other 2 to your liking.
• When the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the white icing. Use a fork or a squeeze bottle to drizzle the cookies with the other colors. Let set in a cool place 1 hour.

ICED ITALIAN KNOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth and creamy. Change to the dough hook and gradually mix in flour mixture. Add warm water and mix until a smooth dough forms.
• Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each ball out to a 4-inch long worm. Bring one end over the other, then underneath and through the middle, like a knot. Place 16 cookies on a baking sheet, four rows of four.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat to bake remaining 2 batches of cookies.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar, anise extract, and salt together in a bowl. Mix in water, a little at a time, until desired consistency.
• Dip cooled cookies upside down into the icing, then turn over onto waxed paper. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

ICED ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans.
• Sift the flour and baking soda together and set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening with the sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. With the mixer on medium speed, add the flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with buttermilk. Add the vanilla, coconut and nuts, and stir well to incorporate.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, just until blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes. Test for doneness by touching the top of the cake with your finger. The cake is done if it bounces back up. Cool the layers on wire racks sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
• For the frosting: With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the butter on high speed until fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and blend in the sugar and vanilla. Beat well until the frosting is smooth.
• When the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting between the layers and on the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle on the nuts.

ITALIAN ICED COFFEE

Steps:

• Place the hot coffee and the sugar in a measuring cup and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the milk and pour the mixture into a blender. Add the ice and blend on high speed for 45 to 60 seconds, until the ice cubes have completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into 2 or 3 small glasses, dust lightly with the cocoa powder, and drink ice cold.
• Pour water into water reservoir of drip coffee maker. Place coffee filter into top canister and put coffee grinds in. Press "On!"

ITALIAN COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and ricotta cheese. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the cheese mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk gradually until a spreadable consistency is reached. Frost cooled cookies.

ITALIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., For icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Dip cookies in icing; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; decorate as desired. Let stand until set.

ITALIAN ANISE COOKIES WITH ICING AND SPRINKLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• For cookies, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add anise extract.
• Blend flour and baking powder. Start by adding about 1/3 of these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar in your mixer, then add 1 T. milk. Add another third of the flour and another 1 T. milk. Finally, mix in enough of the remaining flour until your dough is like a brownie batter (it should be softer than a drop cookie dough).
• Use a 1 T. cookie scooper to make simple round drop cookies - use wet fingers to pat any rough edges OR for an Easter-Egg look, roll 1 T. dough into an elongated ball.
• Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (they won't be brown but the insides will be soft and cake-like).
• For icing: mix sugar, milk and extract to make a sugar glaze. HINT: When I make the icing, I make it thick but then I microwave it for 10 seconds so it is thin enough for dipping. Also, I like to divide the mixture in thirds, and then add ONE DROP of food coloring to each batch (pink, green, yellow).
• Hold cookie in your hand and turn upside down so you can dip the top half in the glaze; turn over and immediately top with sprinkles so they will stick.
• Allow icing to harden overnight; then store in air-tight containers or freeze.

ICED ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice and zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. , Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over cooled cookies.

ITALIAN ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cream the shortening then beat in the juice, sugar, orange extract and orange zest (mixture will appear curdled) until well combined. Blend in the eggs and beat well.
• Mix in all of the baking powder and flour, 1 cup at a time, blending well. Once you've added 6 cups of flour, add the remaining flour just until mixture can be rolled into a ball (batter will be sticky).
• Refrigerate the dough covered for several hours or even overnight.
• Fill a low dish with sifted icing sugar. Using a small cookie scoop. scoop several balls of the cold dough into a plate. Roll the cookies into a smooth ball then roll in the icing sugar. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 " apart.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, rotating the baking trays half way through the baking process. Do not overbake, cookies should be light in colour.

TENDER ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Shape dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For icing, in a small bowl, combine milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Dip tops of cookies in icing; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

ITALIAN SPRINKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Using a heavy-duty mixer, beat eggs on high speed until light and foamy, about 5 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and baking powder; on low speed, gradually beat in shortening and extracts until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gradually add beaten eggs (dough will be stiff). , Roll dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes (tops of the cookies will not brown, but bottoms should brown slightly). , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip 2 or 3 at a time into glaze. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs; place on wire racks to drain. Immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry for 24 hours before storing in airtight containers.