Italian Christmas Cookies with White Glaze

Italian Christmas Cookies with Glaze

These small, round Italian-style Christmas cookies bake up soft and lightly cakey, with pale golden bottoms rather than crisp edges. This butter-based version uses vanilla and a little almond extract, then gets a white glaze and red, green, and white nonpareils. The key is to pull the cookies from the oven when the tops are set but still pale. Cool them completely before glazing so the coating stays on top.

Ingredients for Italian Christmas Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (360g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (115g)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, added gradually
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the glaze
• About 1/3 cup red, green, and white nonpareils (55g)

If using salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly. Two-percent milk works in the glaze if whole milk is unavailable.

How to Bake Italian Christmas Cookies

1. Prepare the oven: Fully preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Mix the dough: Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Mix in the eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and almond extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until no dry flour remains.
3. Portion the cookies: The dough should be soft and scoopable. If it is too sticky to shape, cover and chill it for up to 20 minutes rather than adding a lot of flour. Scoop about 1 tablespoon per cookie, roll lightly into rounds, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.
4. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, starting to check at 10 minutes. Remove the cookies when the tops look dry and set and the bottoms are lightly golden. If the oven browns unevenly, rotate the sheet once near the end of baking.
5. Cool: Let the cookies set briefly on the sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before glazing. Use a cool baking sheet for the next batch.
6. Make the glaze: Stir the powdered sugar, glaze vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add more milk a little at a time, up to 1 tablespoon, until the glaze is thick but spreadable and coats a cookie without running off. If it becomes too thin, stir in a little more powdered sugar.
7. Decorate: Spoon or spread glaze over each cookie and immediately add the nonpareils while it is wet. Leave the cookies in a single layer until the glaze has set, about 30 to 60 minutes, before stacking.

How to Tell the Cookies Are Done

Check the tops and bottoms rather than waiting for the edges to turn brown. The tops should no longer look wet or doughy, while the bottoms should be only lightly golden. Cookie size and oven behavior can shift the timing; deep browning can leave these tender cookies dry. Spoon and level the flour, and stop mixing once it is incorporated to help keep the crumb soft.

Getting the Glaze to Coat the Cookies

Warm cookies can loosen the glaze and make it slide off. Once the cookies are completely cool, adjust the glaze gradually: it should fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon and stay on the cookie tops. Glaze and sprinkle a few cookies at a time so the nonpareils adhere before the surface sets.

Anise Flavor Variation

For a licorice-like flavor, replace the almond extract with 1/4 teaspoon anise extract. Keep the vanilla, round shape, white glaze, and Christmas-color nonpareils.

Serving Italian Christmas Cookies

Serve with coffee or milk, or add them to a holiday cookie tray. For a different festive shape alongside them, try Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies.

How to Store and Freeze Italian Christmas Cookies

Once the glaze has set, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 to 5 days. Place parchment between layers to protect the glaze and sprinkles.

For the cleanest appearance, freeze baked cookies without glaze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and decorate. The colors of nonpareils on already-decorated cookies may bleed after freezing.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on about 30 cookies: 135 calories, 2g protein, 4g fat, and 24g carbohydrates. Per 100g: about 390 calories, 5g protein, 10g fat, and 70g carbohydrates. Values vary with cookie size and the amount of glaze and sprinkles used.