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Traditional Italian Anginetti Cookies are a simple, lightly sweetened, drop cookie with a moist, cake-like texture and delicious, sweet vanilla glaze and sprinkles topping. Beautiful and a real crowd pleaser!
According to Google translate, “anginetti” means “little angels” in English. And I can only image that these cookies are referred to as such because they are, indeed, heavenly.
These traditional Italian cookies were my mom’s most famous cookie amongst her family and friends. Everyone who had them loved them, asked for the recipe, and asked for more. They go by many names–Italian wedding cookies, Italian Christmas Cookies, Italian Lemon Cookies (when made with lemon) and Italian Knot Cookies (when formed into knots which these are not…pun intended). But, my mom simply called them “Italian Biscuits”. She was really the best. ❤️
These Italian cookies were most definitely made during the Christmas holiday season in abbondanza but were also made year-round and upon request. By changing out the sprinkles’ colors, you can actually match these cookies to the season or event, which is totally fun.
Some of our other favorite cookie recipes growing up were classic snowball cookies, pizzelles, Czechoslovakian cookies and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
What are Anginetti Cookies?
These are, by all accounts, very simple, lightly sweetened vanilla cookies with few, basic ingredients and an easy buttery, vanilla glaze icing that seals in the moisture and adds some sweetness. A freeform drop cookie with a moist texture that is somewhere between a cookie and a cake. One bite and you will understand why it’s the most popular cookie on all Italian cookie trays!
Just about every Italian family has its own version of these Christmas cookies. Traditional flavors include anise, almond, lemon or vanilla, like what I’ve made here. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can switch up its base flavor very easily by substituting different extracts.
Plus, these Italian Christmas cookies freeze beautifully! Just leave them unglazed, then thaw and glaze when ready to enjoy. Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
Your pantry and fridge are probably already stocked with all the ingredients you’ll need for these Italian wedding cookies with icing. We’ll need:
- Sugar: Regular sugar is used as the sweetener in the cookie batter, while powdered sugar (a.k.a., 10X or confectioner’s sugar) is used to make the vanilla glaze topping.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. Butter gives the cookie richness and a buttery, tender crumb and makes a rich glaze. The butter should be softened at room temperature before starting the recipe for both the cookie batter and the glaze.
- Eggs: Act as a binder and provide moisture. Use large eggs.
- Flour: The base of the cookie dough. Use all-purpose flour and measure it precisely by sweeping the top of the cup with a flat edge.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies to rise during baking.
- Vanilla Extract: The base flavor of the cookies and glaze.
- Salt: Just a pinch!
- Lemon Juice: Balances out the flavors of the cookies.
- Milk: Along with powdered sugar, milk is the base for the vanilla glaze. Use whole milk. (Light cream or half-and-half can also be used.)
- Sprinkles: No explanation necessary!
How to Make Anginetti Cookies
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Gather and measure all ingredients. Sift the flour and the baking powder together and set aside in a bowl. Grease two to three cookie sheets. (Alternatively, you can use parchment paper.)
- Place the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream them using a hand mixer (i.e., beat until the ingredients are blended together well).
- Then, add the eggs while continuing to mix with the hand mixer, followed by the vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Next, add the sifted flour/baking powder mixture, about 1/3 at a time, until all ingredients are well blended. The mixture will begin to get very thick and sticky.
- Measure out about 2-3 Tbsp of the cookie dough at a time and use two small spoons to drop it onto the greased cookie sheet or sheet pan. Space out the dough pieces at least 1” apart from each other. Then, bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are light brown on all sides. Work in batches.
- Transfer the finished cookies to a cooling rack, sheet pan or dish to cool. Continue scooping and baking the remainder of the cookie batter until all cookies are made. Let cookies cool to room temperature.
- Once all the cookies are cooled and you’re ready to glaze them, make the vanilla glaze topping. Place the powdered sugar, milk, softened butter and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture has the consistency of a glaze.
- PRO-TIP: If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk; if it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- One by one, dip the tops and sides of the cookies in the glaze, then place them on a rack to let the excess drip off. Immediately drizzle your sprinkle of choice over the cookie before the glaze begins to dry. That’s it! Be sure to let the glaze harden completely before stacking or packaging them. This will take a few hours.
- PRO-TIP: Once the glaze dries, the sprinkles will not adhere to it.
More Cookies and Desserts
If you like these Anginetti Cookies, here are a few more sweets to check out:
- Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Czechoslovakian Cookies with Nuts and Jam
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Anise Pizzelles
- Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake
Frequently Asked Questions
I hate when that happens! To prevent this, make sure: (1) the cookies have cooled completely before glazing and sprinkling; (2) the icing consistency is thick and not runny or too thin; (3) you use milk and not water in the glaze recipe, and (4) you avoid glazing the cookies on a hot, humid day.
These cookies will last about one week at room temperature. I generally store my cookies in tins or glass and not plastic as I feel they hold up better and will not become as soft as if they were stored in plastic containers. Be sure to use waxed paper in between the layers.
You can also freeze these cookies (unglazed) in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, thaw them at room temperature, glaze them and enjoy.
You can also technically freeze the finished, glazed and sprinkled cookies, but I don’t recommend it as the sprinkle colors usually bleed as a result.
No. While many recipes call for the cookie dough to be rolled and formed into a nice ball or a knot, I do not do that, but you certainly can if that’s your jam! This is definitely a more rustic, freeform version of anginetti cookies.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few notes on variations and substitutions for these Italian cookies:
- Use a Different Extract: Lemon, anise and almond extracts are all popular choices for these Italian Christmas cookies. Use the same extract in both the batter and glaze for best flavor.
- Lemon or Orange Glaze: If you prefer a lemon or orange glaze frosting for your Anginetti Cookies, switch out the milk for fresh lemon or orange juice and just leave out the vanilla extract. You can also add some lemon zest or orange zest to the batter.
- Add Color: While I’m not a big food dye person myself, sometimes I wish I were as a little color would certainly add a festive flair to the glaze! Popular colors are yellow, red, pink and green, but you could really use whatever you color you want!
- Have Fun with Sprinkles: It’s fun to use different colors to match occasions, holidays or seasons (or your favorite sports teams) throughout the year. Here, I used some crushed candy canes in addition to colored sprinkles to make them extra-Christmasy!
TOP TIPS FOR ANGINETTI COOKIES
- The butter should be completely softened for both the cookie batter and the glaze before using.
- Since you’ll need to work in batches when scooping/baking, make sure that any re-used sheet pan is cool before using so that the cookies do not spread while baking.
- Immediately drizzle your sprinkle of choice over the Italian wedding cookies before the glaze begins to dry. (Once the glaze dries, the sprinkles will not adhere to it.)
- The glaze should harden completely before stacking or packaging them. This will take a few hours.
- Store Anginetti Cookies in a cookie tin or glass container. They will stay fresh for about one week at room temperature, if they are around that long! Try not to store the cookies in plastic as they will become very soft.
- You can freeze unglazed cookies for up to three months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze before serving.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Anginetti Cookies recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Anginetti Cookies (Mom’s Italian Christmas Cookies)
Equipment
- Strainer (for sifting)
- Cookie Sheets or Sheet Pans
Ingredients
- ½ pound unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (2 sticks) + more to grease cookie sheet
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Pinch salt (about ⅛ tsp)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- Sprinkles
Vanilla Glaze Topping:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 5-6 Tbsp whole milk or light cream
- 3 Tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Gather and measure all ingredients.Sift the flour and the baking powder together and set aside in a bowl. Grease 1 or 2 cookie/baking sheets with butter. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper.(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder
- Place the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream them using a hand mixer (i.e., beat until the ingredients are blended together and creamy). You can use a stand mixer if you prefer.½ pound unsalted butter,, 1 cup sugar
- Then, add the eggs while continuing to mix with the hand mixer, followed by the vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt.6 large eggs, 4 tsp vanilla extract, 4 tsp fresh lemon juice, Pinch salt
- Next, add the sifted flour/baking powder mixture, about 1/3 at a time, until all ingredients are well blended. The mixture will begin to get very thick and sticky. If you need to finish mixing by hand, do so. (That’s what my mom always did!)
- Measure out about 2-3 Tbsp of the cookie dough at a time and use two small spoons to drop it onto the greased cookie sheet or sheet pan. (You can make the cookies as small or large as you want.) Space out the dough pieces at least 1” apart from each other. NOTE: Many recipes call for the cookie dough to be rolled and formed into a nice ball or a knot. I do not do that, but you certainly can if that’s your jam! This is definitely a more rustic, freeform version of anginetti cookies.
- Then, bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are light brown on all sides. If you’re not sure if they’re done on the inside, taste test one! Work in batches. I generally have two cookie sheets going. Once one sheet is ready, I place it in the oven while scooping out and preparing the next batch. Just make sure that any re-used sheet pan is cool before using so that the cookies do not spread while baking. (You can always rinse them in cold water if necessary, but then you will have to grease them again.)
- Transfer the finished cookies to a cooling rack, sheet pan or dish to cool. Continue scooping and baking the remainder of the cookie batter until all cookies are made. Let cookies cool to room temperature.
- Once all the cookies are cooled and you’re ready to glaze them, make the vanilla glaze topping. Place the powdered sugar, milk, softened butter and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture has the consistency of a glaze. (If it’s too thick, add a little more milk; if it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.)3 cups powdered sugar, 5-6 Tbsp whole milk or light cream, 3 Tbsp butter,, 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- One by one, dip the tops and sides of the cookies in the glaze, then place them on a rack to let the excess drip off. Immediately drizzle your sprinkle of choice over the cookie before the glaze begins to dry. (Once the glaze dries, the sprinkles will not adhere to it.) Proceed with the remaining batch of cookies. (You may need to stir the glaze a few times during this process.)
- Be sure to let the glaze harden completely before stacking or packaging them. This will take a few hours.
- Store cookies in a cookie tin or glass container. They will stay fresh for about one week at room temperature, if they are around that long! You can also store them in the refrigerator if you prefer. Just bring them to room temperature before serving. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The recipe yield is approximate as it depends on how large or small you make your cookies.
- If a bit of time has passed between finishing the cookie batter and baking the cookies, I suggest refrigerating the batter for about 45 to 60 minutes so that the cookie will hold its shape better and not flatten out too much. This is completely optional. I have done it both ways and the cookies are always delicious. Their shape may be a bit different, though.
- Making the glaze is not an exact science. Taste test it and, if you like it, go with it!
- I am a heavy cookie glazer, but you might have some glaze left over. If you, too, are a heavy glazer, you might need to make a bit more. I’ve been in both situations before!
- Store cookies in a cookie tin or glass container with waxed paper in between the layers. They will stay fresh for about one week at room temperature, if they are around that long! Try not to store the cookies in plastic as they will become very soft.
- You can also store the cookies in the refrigerator if you prefer. Just bring them to room temperature before serving.
- You can freeze unglazed cookies for up to three months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze before serving. You can also technically freeze the finished, glazed and sprinkled cookies, but I don’t recommend it as the sprinkle colors usually bleed as a result.
- Store leftover glaze in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature before using and give it a stir.
- If you prefer a lemon glaze, switch out the milk for fresh lemon juice and just leave out the vanilla extract. You can also use lemon extract in the cookie batter in place of the vanilla extract.
Made these for the first time this year and they came out fantastic! Grazie Michele!
So happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Ben. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Followed recipe to a T. They are good but no evidence of the lemon juice in cookie.
For frosting, I may skip butter in frosting. cookies baked up beautifully and recipe quite easy to follow. thank you.
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I would love to try this recipe, but wondering how to Half this recipe
Hi Camille, I hope you give this recipe a try! You can easily make a half batch of this recipe. Just use half the amount shown for all the ingredients and the same technique. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
This recipe is easy to half. Just take each ingredient and cut by half. everything is in even numbers so no need to worry about measurements. Directions remain same.