soft and crumbly cookies
Here’s another recipe that I have been wanting to make forever – Italian wedding cookies! Honestly, I don’t know what the real name is for these cookies since I don’t think they originate from my mom’s region in Italy.Regardless, I finally made a batch, and these cookies are soooo good. Definitely a keeper! They are soft, almost like a cross between a cake cookie and a traditional crispy cookie.
Growing up, it seemed that everyone’s mom or grandmother made a version of these cookies. They go by a number of different names. Italian wedding cookies, Italian christmas cookies, or Anise cookies (…but mine are almond flavored.) Sometimes, when the baker would add too much flour, these cookies would taste quiet dry – but those were good for dunking in coffee!
Flavoring
As a kid, I did not like anise-flavoring. My mom would make pizzelles the traditional way with anise as the flavoring and I’d always beg her to make them vanilla or lemon flavored instead. She eventually came around:) But this is a very versatile recipe as far as flavorings go – feel free to substitute the almond or anise with vanilla, lemon, orange, or whatever flavoring appeals to you.
Decorating these cookies
The traditional way to decorate these is to top them with a simple drizzle of frosting and then add the rainbow non-pareils, which are usually widely available at the grocery store (at least they are around here).
how to keep these cookies in the ball-like shape during baking
When making this cookie, it’s important to refrigerate them for at least an hour in order for the cookie to bake in its characteristic tall shape. If you don’t refrigerate, they will come out flatter, more like a traditional drop cookie. Still good, but I love how they bake up if you refrigerate the dough.
dough consistency
Please note that this dough is a little sticky. I know everyone’s definition of “a little” can vary but here is a photo of the mixed dough; hope this helps to visualize the finished dough. Here you can see that I didn’t soften the butter too much for this particular batch:
italian wedding cookies (almond or anise flavored)
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 2 1/4 cups flour (all purpose)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened (DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER) (8 tablespoons)
- 1.5 teaspoons almond extract (or anise [licorice flavor])
To make the frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or anise extract)
To decorate
- 4 tbsp non-pareils or sprinkles
Instructions
To make the cookie dough
- Mix the baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl and set aside
- Using a electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, and extract on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add the flour/baking powder and combine slowly just until mixed.
- Using a tablespoon, roll the dough into balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F, and then bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
To Frost
Mix the ingredients for the frosting, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time
I prefer to use a teaspoon and pour a bit of frosting over the cooled cookies but some like to dunk their cookies in the frosting to frost
Make sure that the cookies are completely cooled before frosting otherwise, the frosting will just drip off
Add sprinkles/non-pareils while the frosting is still wet or they won't stick. I usually frost a few at a time and then decorate so the frosting doesn't dry before I have a chance to decorate
Awesome recipe! As someone commented already I did substitute lemon extract for the almond and they were sensational. Next time I may experiment with maple extract.
Recipe very close to my husbands grandmother from Sicily.
All our family waits for these to be baked.
Best result is to refrigerate
The absulute best!
These cookies were delicious!!…and very easy to make! I want to make them for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, or any occasion! It took my butter, eggs and sugar longer than 2 minutes to get fluffy because my eggs were cold and hardened my butter into chunks – so the only thing I’d do different is let my eggs get to room temp 🙂
Thanks for the tip Barb! Glad you liked them
Delicious cookies but a tip for everyone use crisco instead of butter!!!! SO MOIST AND PERFECT.
Made these tonight followed recipe and used abuse they came out perfect. I did refrigerate dough about 3 hours… try them they are easy and you can use imagination in combinations next time I will use lemon zest in batter and lemon juice in frosting with yellow non Parelis
Hello! Would it change the end result if the cookie adding a little bit more sugar?
I’ve never tried so I couldn’t say but I would guess they’d come out sweeter
Made these for the first time yesterday. Followed your recipe exactly (used anise flavoring), and instructions. Best tip was to refrigerate dough balls before baking off. They came out perfectly, and are delicious. My girls and I made these together, and the group effort was appreciated in the frosting and decorating step. It made it go quickly and smoothly. These cookies will now be in the yearly line-up of Christmas cookies. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have been looking for years for a milk-free recipe that duplicates my grandma’s anise cookies…and I believe I have finally found it! These cookies were simple to make, I followed your instructions exactly, and they are perfect. I used water instead of milk in the frosting, but they are still delicious. I wonder if you have any experience with shipping these cookies…I made the mistake of telling my niece what I was doing and now she wants me to ship her a batch!
I’m sorry I wish I could give you some advice…ive never shipped cookies
I shipped from Ohio to Denver. Packaged in cookie tin and bubble wrap. They arrived in perfect condition.
SENSATIONAL!!!
Followed the recipe to the letter with no issues.
Made them for Christmas gifts. (I don’t buy, I bake.)
Thanks for the recipe.
I made these and the were so easy and delicious! Just one question….how can I store them for 3 days?
Just leave them in an airtight container 🙂
I was excited to make these,then I realized I got interrupted and forgot to put in the sugar. Can you add sugar after it’s all mixed and chilled?
I’ve never tried that but it can’t hurt to try? Let us know what happens
I made these at Christmas as holiday gifts for neighbors and family. It was a major hit. They are delicious.
I have made these cookies for several years at Christmas. Everyone loves this recipe, especially my Italian family!
Mine went semi flat??
oh no! Some common reasons could be oven temp not accurate, baking powder out of date, or perhaps you butter was too warm or dough not chilled enough? I hope they were still tasty:)
I’ve been looking to replicate an almond cookie.
I’m looking to get a slightly dense and somewhat sweet cookie, but I’m not able to achieve it. I’ve tried a recipe with butter and a recipe with oil. And they both kind of turned out a little dry and fluffy slightly cake like on the inside. Which isn’t bad, but I’m trying to replicate another Italian cookie.
I’ve also added a little milk to my recipe. And when I was done I added some flour to help me mold it.
How does this cookie turn out? And any advice what I could do to achieve that cookie?
I will have to try to chill it like u suggested next time.
Thank you!
I know the cookie you mean – I would probably add a bit of flour to this recipe to achieve that denser cookie (maybe 1/4 cup, so 2.5 cups total flour). Also, I like the flavor much better when they are refrigerated, even overnight, before baking. Using 2 1/4 cups flour, this cookie can come out super light, almost cake like but not quite. But I think adding a bit of flour will get you to the cookie you are thinking of! I’d like to give that a try myself soon…if you get to it before me, let me know 🙂
I made these but the dough was very sticky. Should the dough have been refrigerated it first.
Hi Donna, the dough is slightly sticky, yes – I would say like chocolate chip cookie dough can be (the homemade kind, right after mixing)- you can use a bit of water on your hands when you roll the dough into balls if it helps or even refrigerate for a bit then roll them into balls. Then the formed cookies are supposed to sit in fridge for at least an hour after you form them. If you’ve ever made and rolled homemade meatballs, the dough reminds me of that kind of stickiness. If you are baking with a lower protein flour or maybe it is raining/humid outside, mayyyybe you need to add a bit more (1 or 2 tablespoons) flour, but I would try to form them without the extra flour if possible – I hope this helps?
I added a pic of what my mixed dough looks like in the post above…
Hi, when you roll the dough into balls, do you tray them and put the whole tray in the fridge? Or do you roll them all at one time and stack them in a big bowl?
Hi! I place them on trays
We made these for years. We always refrigerated the dough before we rolled them. Never work the dough too much. The cookies will be hard.
That’s what I did and they came out perfect
How far in advance can
I bake these cookies & they will still be fresh?
Mine are usually gone within a week so it’s hard to say. If you want to keep them for longer than 3 or 4 days, I’d say a safe bet is to freeze them (without the frosting) and then frost when ready to eat. The cookies should keep in an airtight container for at least a few days and maybe longer but I haven’t personally tested this so it’s hard to say.
Why is it best not to melt the butter?
It will change the texture and appearance of the cookie. This might be fine for certain cookies. Read more here
I made these with vanilla extract and they were perfect! Thank you for sharing the recipe. My grandmother had been making Italian Christmas cookie trays for Beyoncé she knew with these every year. I didn’t have the recipe tonight but thought I would give them a try. They’re perfect! Just like I remember!
Wow that’s pretty cool- she bakes for Beyoncé!
Why unsalted butter ? If salted is all I have handy can it still be used ?
If you use salted butter, you can just eliminate the salt in the recipe. (rule of thumb: substitute 1/2 cup salted butter for every 1/2 cup unsalted butter but reduce salt by 1/4 teaspoon)
Made them with anise, tasted amazing!!
Can the dough b refrigerated for a week before baking
I think a week might be pushing it but it might work – I’ve never tried that so hard to say, sorry.
Great easy recipe! Tastes just like nonna’s.
If I make the lemon extract which flavor should I make the icing? Lemon as well or vanilla? Just made the almond ones. Thanks.
I would say either or would work fine. Personally, I like a mix of both
Ingredients call for 1/2 sugar…… cup? Tablespoon?
So sorry! It’s 1/2 cup…fixed and thank you!
What is the name for these…my husbands family calls them….spelling it how it’s said..”.todalooch” anyone know the proper spelling?
I’ve read some people refer to a similar cookie as taralluci (but they are lemon flavored) or anginetti. Hard to say because of all the different regions in Italy having so many different regional recipes
Fantastic cookies. I have a question about the icing. I made a batch and shipped them to my mom seems the icing softened during shipment. I let the icing set for over a day. Any idea as to why this would happen?
I have not tried to ship cookies, but my guess it is either a problem with moisture or perhaps heat (was it shipped to a warm climate)? I can keep these on my countertop in a sealed plastic container for a few days with no problems so I’m curious too…
Should have put a piece of bread in to keep moister out.
The old recipe that we used for weddings made a small hole in top then filled with different jelly then iced. They can be iced and frozen .
Can these cookies be frozen?
yes, unfrosted in airtight container up to 30 days. Frost after the cookies defrost
Yes. Thats how I do it. Then I frost them when I need them
My cookies have crackes in on the tops of them, what would of caused this. They taste good but just done look great. Thznks mary
Hi Mary – I’m not sure? I have not had that issue before. I’ve read that it can be caused by the outside of the cookie baking before the inside so maybe lower the temp of your oven by 25 degrees or so next time?
Too much flour will cause cracking. Also sift flour. Batter will be sticky so dust hands with flour before shaping.
I just made this recipe and I found that the wet ingredients never turned into a fluffy and light texture. I think its’ because the butter wasn’t melted. I noticed that many other recipes for this type of cookie uses melted butter or melted shortening. I’m wondering why this didn’t call for melted butter.
Hmmm, I’m not sure? I’ve never had a problem whipping butter and sugar until fluffy and have never ever melted butter for cookies. from what I understand, melted butter results in chewy cookies and unmelted gives a more cake like cookie, which is what this is…it is possible you didn’t use room temp butter? that will affect that abiltiy to incorporate the ingredients.
I used room temperature butter, then it all separated once mixed with the sugar and eggs. Then I tried softening up the butter even more (it was really soft) which resulted in a better mixture but still nowhere near fluffy. The butter still kind of separated slightly. Sorry to be a pain about this but I would really like to keep making this recipe, it ended up tasting delicious! I just want to make sure I’m getting it all right.
Can this dough be used in a pastry bag to get uniform drop cookie sizes?
Sorry I missed this comment! I usually use a cookie scoop to get uniform cookies. I think it would be hard to pipe, but may be worth a try
Are they supposed to be sweet? We made these with a few modifications to accommodate dietary needs – Gluten free flour (1 for 1 substitution), Earth Balance buttery spread instead of butter, and coconut sugar (crystal, a 1 for 1 substitution) instead of regular white sugar. They held their shape well, crumbly but moist. But they weren’t very sweet, and I’m wondering if that’s how they’re supposed to be. I’ve made other wedding cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar, usually twice, and they’re much sweeter. My friend’s niece has requested he make these for her wedding in a couple of weeks, and we made a sample batch to test. THOUGHTS?
Lori
Hi Lori – the cookies are definitely not a super sweet cookie, yet they are definitely “sweet enough” and are meant to be frosted as shown in the photos (vs rolled in sugar) so that also adds to the sweetness. I’ve read that coconut sugar is used in a 1:1 substitution with sugar, but I’ve found it to be much less sweet than sugar so that could be a potential issue too? If you can make a frosting as shown in the recipe, I think you may find the cookies to be sweeter – has your friend’s niece specifically requested that you use coconut sugar? If not, I’d highly encourage you to make the cookies as written (unless they are gluten and dairy intolerant?) please feel free to email me as well if you want to chat more…
Edited to add that one of my favorite sites for vegan recipes has this gluten-free, vegan cookie recipe that looks good!
Thank you for the feedback. I think we will go back to using the white sugar for the wedding, since she doesn’t have sensitivity to that, just gluten and dairy (oh, yeah, we used almond milk for the frosting). Just waiting on the bride’s feedback on the samples we sent her. We’re in North Carolina but the wedding is in Pittsburgh, PA. We’re making them, then traveling (500 mile drive) to the wedding city. I’m thinking we will make and freeze them 3 days before, , then defrost overnight the night before,, frost and sprinkle the morning of the wedding. Does this sound workable? Sorry to seem so meticulous about these, but I’ve not yet met this side of his family and I want to make a good impression. Your recipe is the one she sent, so I need to get it right! Thanks again!
oh that’s awesome! yes, I would do what you are suggesting – freeze unfrosted and then frost afterwards. I have not testing this recipe with gluten-free flour or without the use of good old-fashioned butter, but would love to hear how those modifications work out for you. And don’t forget the frosting will add sweetness to the cookie too.
This recipe just brought back many sweet memories..
Followed the recipe to the T, taste great. Very easy to make. I gave it 5 stars b/c I am rating the recipe and it taste delish not altering it and giving it 5 stars. *wink* The kids ate it all within 1 hour!
Thank you for sharing.
Where is the ricotta cheese?
Hi Tracey – these aren’t ricotta cookies but I have a recipe for those if you’d like it? email me using the contact info on my page:)
Do they freeze well?
Hi Nancy, yes provided they are not frosted/decorated. Up to 2 months see this link
When do you frost?
I frost after the cookies have been baked and cooled. If the cookies are too warm, the frosting will almost completely drip off the cookie – thanks for asking – I’ve updated the post.
These cookies are amazing!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!! I am baking these for an event for a desert table benefitting a local animal rescue I volunteer at. These cookies are that good!! Thanks again for the fantastic recipe!!!
i’m so glad you like them – I love them too!
I added 2 and a 4th cups of flour and that was not nearly enough I had it add another 3/4 of a cup I hope it’s gonna be OK . no way I could have rolled them into balls
how did it turn out Paula? I’ve made these before and measured incorrectly – could that be possible? what kind of flour were you using?
OMG – these are the best cookies ever!! They are exactly like I remember when I was a kid. Thanks for the recipe – I made them for Christmas