Grandmoms Italian Easter Cookies Recipe 45

GRANDMOM'S ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Melt margarine in saucepan and set aside. In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar together. Add lemon extract, mix. Mix in oil. Then add margarine, mix until well blended. Add baking powder 1 teaspoon at a time mixing real well. Begin adding flour one cup at a time and mix with spoon. Keep adding flour until you think you can handle mixture with hands. Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead to form a soft dough. You will have to add flour until the dough is not sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour because cookies will be hard. The 11 cups of flour is an estimate. Keep adding until the cookie dough is not sticky, but not too thick. After you are finishing kneading dough set aside and cover with towel so the dough can rest. Preheat oven to 350°F. Flour cookie sheets. Cut dough into a strip and cut pieces from strip. Roll out with hand and shape into a wreath or braid. Do not play with dough too much when shaping. Bake for 10 minutes. Time will depend on oven. The bottom of the cookie should be light in color. Let cookies cool. ICING: Place confectioner's sugar in bowl and mix with milk. Start with about 3-4 tablespoons of milk, and add until you get the consistency you would like. You will need to judge how much milk to make a nice white icing. Put icing on cookies with pastry brush and sprinkle candies on cookies. I put pieces of wax paper on my kitchen table and ice cookies on the wax paper. Let dry overnight before you put away. If they are not dried completely when you put away in tin can the round candies will run. Cookies are best keep in a tin can. I line the tin can with wax paper.

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN PIZZELLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat a pizzelle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Beat eggs, sugar, and butter together using an electric mixer. Add flour and extracts; beat until combined.
• Spray the inside of iron lightly with cooking spray.
• Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into the center of each pizzelle grid. Close lid and bake until steam stops and cookies are light golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds.
• Peel pizzelle off using a fork and lay flat on a newspaper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm and let sit for 1 minute. Dust the other side. Repeat with remaining batter to make about 30 cookies.

ITALIAN RICOTTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks butter with sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ricotta, lemon zest and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, then beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours and up to a week.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line several cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake until pale golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter. Whisk confectioners' sugar to break up any large lumps, then whisk in melted butter, lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Spread icing on cooled cookies, then let set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

GINA'S ITALIAN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Combine butter, sugar, and shortening in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in almond paste until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and almond extract. Reduce the mixing speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl once all dry ingredients are added, then mix on medium speed until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
• Fit a large pastry bag with an 864 or 4S tip and fill bag with batter. Pipe evenly sized cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart, giving cookies space to puff slightly during baking.
• Bake in the preheated oven, in batches if necessary, until bottom edges are slightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.