Italian Sprinkle Cookies
Looking for a classic delicious cookie recipe to make for the holidays? This is my go to recipe! This came to me several years ago from my good friend Karen Tran. She is an avid foodie like me (I said avid, not rabid…well, she’s avid, I’m probably rabid!)! One day we were talking about our favorite cookies to make and devour at the holidays. I was telling her one of my favorites were these Italian domes coated in icing and covered with sprinkles. I was introduced to them in my teens and got them every year when I lived in Boston. Since moving to California I had not seen them and did not have a recipe for them. A few days later, I received a few recipes in the mail from her, including my favorite for these Italian Sprinkle Cookies she had retrieved from the Epicurious website many moons ago! Thank you Karen!!!
Recipe
Italian Sprinkle Cookies
6 XL eggs
5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup shortening, melted
1 Tablespoon almond extract (yes, that said Tablespoon!)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
Glaze
1/2 cup milk, warmed
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
Sprinkles
3/4 cup (roughly) colored sprinkles
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Next add 6 extra large eggs into bowl of electric mixer (this is one of the many times I love my Kitchen Aid mixer!). Beat eggs on high for about 5 minutes until light and foamy, then set bowl aside.
In another large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder.
In a small pan, melt the shortening and then remove from heat.
Then add the extracts to the shortening. BE CAREFUL, it will splatter a but which is why you do this off the heat!
Then add the shortening/extract blend to the dry ingredients.
At this point you are intoxicated with the incredible scents of the extracts! The combination almost smells like anise and my mouth is starting to water…and I’m slowly starting to talk more with my hands…and my words are starting to have an Italian accent to them! Bene!
Mix until it gets coarse and crumbly.
Gradually add the beaten eggs to the bowl and stir by hand until completely combined. This is when you work those biceps a bit as the dough will be stiff.
The I use a small ice cream scoop to drop them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. It’s the cleanest way to go about it and I love the shape and size they make. I fit about a dozen on a sheet.
Bake for 13 minutes. The tops should be slightly firm (not soft to the touch) but will not brown so be careful not to overcook! The bottoms will brown slightly. When I make these I keep a rotation going with a second cookie ready to throw in the oven so I can keep the process moving.
While cookies are cooking, it’s time to make the icing of the gods! Combine the milk and extracts in a medium size bowl. Add the powdered sugar. Whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps and set aside.
I keep the whisk nearby in case you need to mix the icing glaze to keep it smooth in between batches. Best to get your ducks in a row so you can move quickly when the batches come out of the oven. Get your sprinkles, icing and cookie rack placed over a cookie sheet ready. When the first batch comes out, it’s time for those babies to take a dunk in the glaze pool! I get working on them as soon as they come out of the oven as I throw my next batch in to cook.
Invert the cooked cookie tops into the glaze bath and then place on the cookie rack. I usually do a dunk a few cookies and then immediately put the sprinkles on them before they start to set. Once done, let these set until the next batch is out of oven. When set, move to a serving platter. These are yummy right away but honestly BEST at least a day later.
Let air dry (do not cover) 24 hours before storing in a container.
These are fantastic with a hot cup of coffee, after dinner with a glass of wine, or anytime with a glass of iced cold milk! Have 6 or 7 for me!
