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small pale golden knotted cookies with thin white glaze and multicolored nonpareil sprinkles resting on an ordinary baking sheet
Andre Lewis

Italian Christmas Cookies

These small anise knots bake up soft and lightly cakey, which gives a cookie tin a break from crisp butter cookies. Keep the ropes short and loose rather than pulling the dough tight into elaborate knots. A thin glaze catches the sprinkles without hiding the shape, and the glaze needs time to dry before the cookies go into a container with anything else.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Glaze setting 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 39 minutes
Servings: 30
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp anise extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp whole milk for dough
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp whole milk for glaze
  • 2 tbsp multicolored nonpareil sprinkles

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Beat butter and granulated sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in eggs, anise and vanilla.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into the butter with the dough milk just until a soft dough comes together.
  3. Divide into 30 portions. Roll each into a short 4-inch rope, tie into a loose knot and place 2 inches apart on the sheets.
  4. Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops feel set. Cool completely on a rack.
  5. Whisk powdered sugar and glaze milk until smooth. Dip the tops in glaze, add the measured sprinkles and let dry for at least 45 minutes before stacking.