Italian Christmas Cookies
Crisp edges, thick centers, and loads of frosting. I know you’ll love these soft and delicious Italian Christmas cookies. This is the best homemade Christmas cookie recipe by far, not to mention the homemade frosting that happens to melt in your mouth. These cookies will be eaten faster than you can say “Merry Christmas!”
There are truly so many great cookie recipes out there but every single year, my sister and I continue to make these. It is a yearly tradition and so fun to make these cookies together. They are so easy to whip and you can get your kids to help! My girls love to frost and decorate these Italian Christmas cookies with their cousins. Follow along as we get our ingredients ready and show you how to make them.
INGREDIENTS
butter, softened
sugar
3 eggs
ricotta cheese (15oz)
pure vanilla extract
flour
salt
baking soda
for the frosting –
butter, softened
powdered sugar
pure vanilla extract
milk
food coloring
sprinkles to decorate
LET’S MAKE SOME DOUGH!
First off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grab out 2 cookie sheets. Now, in your stand mixer; cream butter and eggs. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ricotta and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add into creamed mixture. You will want to grease your cookie sheets prior to placing the dough on. Go ahead and do that now. Next up, drop cookie dough by rounded spoonful, 2 inch apart onto the baking sheet. They will look “messy.” Bake the Italian Christmas cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove and place on wire racks to cool.
While the other cookies bake and cool, whip up your frosting. This frosting is sensational. In a medium sized bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add in enough milk until the frosting reaches spreading consistency. Side note; you may need more powdered sugar if you decide to add food coloring. Once your cookies are cooled, you will want to frost and decorate them immediately. Feel free to sample one now I know you can’t wait. YUM, scrumptious am I right?
These cookies are soooo good. They are soft, almost like a cross between a cake cookie and a traditional crispy cookie. This is a very versatile recipe as far as flavorings go – feel free to substitute the vanilla with almond, lemon, orange, or whatever flavoring appeals to you. You can make the dough the day before, just make sure the dough has enough time to warm up prior to baking. If you’d like to make dozens of cookies for a large crowd, double the recipe. Happy Holidays!
