for the next few weeks we'll call this the Italian Christmas Cookie. i believe it is better known as the Italian Wedding Cookie. i've also been informed, by an Italian, that if these don't show up at the party in some shape or form...well...it's just not a party. period.
weddings, baby showers, birthdays, engagements, any and every celebration has to have these.
being that this is the must have cookie i had to try it.
my friend Kim, an Italian, asked for my help with some cookies for the holidays to show off her new cooking skills to her very large Italian family. she informed me they take their cookies seriously so i googled around and found this one. i'm glad i did. these are a great addition to any cookie tray.
as i promised little chit-chat and on with the recipe...
i must say that i'm so sorry i lost the original site that i found this one...my bad! i always like to give credit to the the right person. when i find it i will be sure to post it and give proper thanks.
These can be shaped any way you want. i chose to knot them.
Anisette Rings
1/2 cup margarine or butter (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons anise extract, divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
rainbow sprinkles
In large bowl with mixer on low speed beat margarine or butter with sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy. At medium speed beat in eggs, vanilla and 1 teaspoon anise extract; constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and baking powder occasionally scrapping bowl. Dived dough into 4 parts, wrap each ball in plastic wrap and freeze at least one hour or refrigerate over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured surface divide 1 ball of dough into 9 equal pieces, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a 7 inch long rope. Bring ends of rope together and gently twist several times. Pinch twisted ends together to seal.
Place cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. With spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
When cookies are cool, prepare glaze. ***In small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar with 1 teaspoon anise extract and 2 tablespoons water. Brush top of cookies with glaze. Add sprinkles. Set cookies aside to allow glaze to dry. About 1 hour.
1/2 cup margarine or butter (1 stick) softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons anise extract, divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
rainbow sprinkles
In large bowl with mixer on low speed beat margarine or butter with sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy. At medium speed beat in eggs, vanilla and 1 teaspoon anise extract; constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and baking powder occasionally scrapping bowl. Dived dough into 4 parts, wrap each ball in plastic wrap and freeze at least one hour or refrigerate over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured surface divide 1 ball of dough into 9 equal pieces, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a 7 inch long rope. Bring ends of rope together and gently twist several times. Pinch twisted ends together to seal.
Place cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. With spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
When cookies are cool, prepare glaze. ***In small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar with 1 teaspoon anise extract and 2 tablespoons water. Brush top of cookies with glaze. Add sprinkles. Set cookies aside to allow glaze to dry. About 1 hour.
***i used this glaze recipe
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon anise extract
i dipped the cookies 6 at a time then sprinkled, then dipped then sprinkled and so on and so on....
24 comments:
Oh my goodness - Childhood memories are rushing back with the sight of those cookies.
How pretty and festive!
I was so excited to come across your post! My parents are from southern Italy and we make these every year! Were we are from they are called scalette. I want to try your recipe and surprise my mom with them! Can't wait!
ciao! complimenti per questa delizia!
Wow. I am blown away by your photography! I'm just learning. Sometimes I have a blast with it and sometimes I want to throw my camera out the frickin window!! I'm having some friends over for dinner and I plan to make your fabulous cookies for dessert! Thanks for sharing and nice to meet ya!
Jules,
The photo's are just beautiful and I can truly testify that they tasted even better then they looked. I shared the samples with my sister and she loved them a true Italian cookie she said ö¿ö . I am looking forward to our future bakes together! I'm so happy I asked you to help me with some Italian cookie baking. I can't wait to get the reaction from my large Italian family this year on Christmas eve when I walk in with these beauties.. If you like Italian cookies you have to try this recipe she definately nailed this one! That is no surpise to me Jules has a real talent in the kitchen!
See you soon, Love ya,
Kim
I came across these and thought they were so incredibly cute that I had to make them at Christmas. They were hugely popular with my friends and family and super cute, I'm definitely making them again. Thanks so much!
Omg my mom used to make these for us at Christmas when we were kids. She called them "knots" in English. She had lost the recipe and now has Alzheimers so this is like an amazing discovery for our family!! Thank you so much for posting this!
Tnitemare...i'm so glad you stopped by. i hope the recipe is like your Mom's. or at least it will bring great memories as you tie each little "knot". hope you and your family have great holidays
Hello Jules, I seen your delicious Italian cookies on pin interest and I just wanted to stop by and say they look wonderful. Take Care, BAM
hi...thanks bamskitchen for stopping by and checking these out.
Reminds me of the pink and white animal cookies, that my mom would never let me get as a kid. What tastes better, Memories or Cookies ?
Growing up my Italian Grandma called these Italian knot cookies!! They are awesome!!
hey Danielle. i think i would make these little "knots" any time of the year. thanks for the comment
My great grandma used to make these and we called them S Cookies because they were shaped like an S. I have looked for a recipe for years. She died in 1996 and whens he died all of her recipes went with her. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be trying it soon.
anonymous...love to hear Grandma stories...you just can;t beat a "Grandma cookie"...thanks for the comment...J
So glad to find this recipe. My Mom always made these for any holiday or weddings. She never measured anything and this worked for her. Mom has passed and I have tried making them but they seemed heavy, not light enough.
I have made this recipe and they have come out light. I am making them again for our Easter celebration. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Anonymous...i'm so sorry i just found this great comment. so happy these came out great and i hope i see you around again soon....thanks so much for the report
My boyfriend and his dad LOVE Italian cookies and they were shaped like a knot. No one in the family has the recipe and the great Aunt has passed that used to make them. I'm going to give it a try with these and hope they are at least similar. Hopefully I can form the "knot". Thanks for the post!!
hi Stephanie....oh i hope these are the same. i know they will appreciate the effort. as i recall, they are not difficult and everybody was impressed. let me know how they turn out? thanks for stopping by
My grandmother and mom made these every Christmas when I was a kid. I've since taken over making all of the cookies and still make these every year, with a slightly different recipe. I'm not an fan of anise, so I use almond extract in the mix and amaretto in the icing, though. And we call them Janettes, but I have no idea why. :)
Hello,I plan on making these for Christmas this year at our annual cookie-a-thon and I was wondering, in the glaze part of the recipe, what is the 1/4 cup of milk for?
Hello, I was hoping you can help me, my dads grandmother used to make a cookie called Ginettes and they were formed into a deep ring and covered in an icing sugar glaze but I haven't been able to find the recipe and the family does not know where the recipe is. I'm not sure if that is the right spelling of them but I hope you can help me if you can. Thank you Jules and Ruby.
These cookies are wonderful! I make many Italian cookies for Christmas though these ones are my favourite.
Can we freeze them like we can with other cookies?
Post a Comment