This post may include affiliate links for products or services. I may receive an affiliate commission if you click on an affiliate link and purchase the item. For more information, check out the disclosure here.
Soft and sweet Italian Christmas Cookies flavored with anise and topped with creamy icing and Christmas sprinkles. These cookies will melt in your mouth and are the perfect festive treat to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve or serve at your Holiday parties.
Not a fan of overly sweet and sugary cookies and desserts? The anise extract and added salt balance so the sweetness is not overwhelming.
What ingredients do I need to make Italian Christmas Cookies?
Unsalted butter, softened – Softened butter is easier to cream with sugar. Cold butter is too hard and it will crumble instead of cream when you blend it.
Granulated sugar – For sweetness and helps with the baking process.
Large egg – A binder to hold the ingredients together.
Anise extract – A slight licorice flavor
All-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
Baking powder – A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise when they bake. Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda or the cookies will spread instead of rise.
Salt – Balances out the sweetness and complements the anise flavor.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the icing. Adding more powdered sugar creates a thicker icing.
Heavy whipping cream – Combined with powdered sugar, it creates an icing for the top of the cookies. More cream will give you a thinner icing.
See the recipe card below for measurements
What equipment do I need to make Italian Christmas Cookies?
You’ll need the following to make a batch of Italian Christmas Cookies:
- Large Cookie Sheet (Half-size)
- Parchment Paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
- Medium-size (1-1/2 tablespoon) cookie scoop
- Small mixing bowl
How do I make Italian Christmas Cookies?
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and anise extract and mix until well combined.
Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Scoop out 1-1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough, roll them into balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and heavy cream in a small bowl until smooth. Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the icing, then set them on a wire rack until the icing hardens. For a festive touch, sprinkle colored sugar or nonpareils on top of the icing before it sets.
Serve at room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can I substitute any of the ingredients?
You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the cookies, but you’ll want to cut the added salt to a 1/4 teaspoon.
If you don’t like anise, you can use vanilla or almond extract.
For a thinner icing, you can use milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
A festive gift idea for the Holidays!
Package a few of the Italian Christmas Cookies in cellophane bags tied with red, green, or gold ribbons and hand them out as gifts or party favors to friends and family. Make sure to keep them in the refrigerator before you hand them out.
Italian Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Large Cookie Sheet Half size
- Parchment paper
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
- 1 Medium size cookie scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon size
- 1 Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon anise extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and anise extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop out 1-1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough, roll them into balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and heavy cream in a small bowl until smooth. Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the icing, then set them on a wire rack until the icing hardens. For a festive touch, sprinkle colored sugar or nonpareils on top of the icing before it sets.
- Serve at room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Leave a Reply