Best Italian Christmas Cookies: 17+ Wonderfully Festive Cookie Recipes To Bake!
These Italian Christmas cookies come in a wide variety of delicious flavors that are perfect for sharing with friends and family! They make a great addition to any cookie tray or holiday dessert spread. You can even gift these homemade Italian cookies to neighbors and coworkers to spread some Christmas cheer!
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Instructions
Italian Ricotta Cookies
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the 1 cup butter, 1 ¾ cups sugar, and 1 large lemon zest until light and the butter pales in color. Add in the 1 ¾ cups ricotta and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Mix the 2 large eggs into the dough one at a time, then add the ½ teaspoon salt and 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder. Gradually add the 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour and mix until fully combined.
Use plastic cling film to cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days at most.
Preheat your oven once the dough is chilled. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drop the chilled dough in 1-inch balls onto your prepared baking sheet leaving 2 inches of spacing between cookies. *These were portioned using a melon baller and dropped directly onto the baking sheet (rather than hand-rolled).
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top no longer looks raw and the cookie bottoms are just turning a light golden color. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Lemon Icing
Once the cookies have fully cooled, mix the icing ingredients (2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) in a small bowl until smooth. Add liquid or more confectioners' sugar as needed to reach your desired consistency. You want the icing to cling to your spoon with a slow drizzle (that way it stays on your cookies!).
Dip each of the cookies into the bowl of icing, allow the icing to run off until the drizzle slows, then turn and set onto the wire cooling rack. Add sprinkles after every few cookies are glazed, if using.
Allow the icing to set at room temperature before serving or storing.
Notes
If you want to store these cookies or freeze them (in more than a single layer) hold off on the icing until you are ready to serve the cookies.
Flash freeze the dry cookies (without icing) in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them into a freezer storage container. The cookies should be fully frozen within 2-3 hours.
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