Italian Wedding Cookies (Anginetti)
These traditional Italian cookies are served at many holidays and weddings in the old Italian neighborhood! They are very simple lightly sweetened cookies that are traditionally flavored with anise, almond, or lemon and then dipped in a sweet sugar glaze. Everyone will love them!
One of My Favorite Italian Cookies: Anginetti
Here’s a favorite, basic, Italian cookie – Anginetti (also referred to Ancinetti)! They go by a number of different names and in Italy they are made for weddings and holidays like Easter or Christmas. In the USA many people refer to them as Italian wedding cookies, Italian Christmas cookies, or Anise or anisette cookies (…but mine are almond flavored.) When they are formed into knots and flavored with lemon zest/extract, they are called lemon knot cookies.
These cookies are soooo good. 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 in the old neighborhood made a version of these cookies. Sometimes, when the baker would add too much flour, these cookies would taste quiet dry – but those were good for dunking in coffee!
Flavoring the Italian Cookies (Anginetti)
Traditionally, these cookies were flavored with lemon. But they are very commonly made with anise, almond, or even vanilla.
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 the Cookies
The traditional way to decorate these is to top them with a simple drizzle of sugar glaze and then add the rainbow non-pareils (or sprinkles), which are usually widely available at the grocery store.
Keeping Ball-Shape Cookies During Bake
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.
I find it easiest to make the dough the day before and they bake it up the next day or so.
Notes on 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:
Tips to Prevent the Sprinkles from Bleeding into the Icing:
To prevent bleeding of colors from sprinkles into the icing see the following suggestions:
- Omit the sprinkles
- Ensure cookies are cool before icing and sprinkling (since heat will cause icing and sprinkles to run)
- Don’t ice the cookies until the day you need them
- Make sure icing consistency is thick and not runny or thin
- Roll in confectionary (powdered) sugar instead of icing and sprinkles
- Make sure you use milk, not water to make the icing
- Use pastel colors, they don’t run/bleed as much
- Let the icing set a tiny bit before adding the sprinkles
- Avoid serving or frosting them on a humid day
Try Some Other Popular Cookies
📖 Recipe
Italian Wedding Cookies (anginetti)
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 2 1/4 cups (281.25 g) flour (all purpose)
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 3 (150 g) large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter , softened (DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER (8 tablespoons))
- 1.5 teaspoons (6 g) almond extract (or anise [licorice flavor])
To make the frosting:
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) almond extract (or anise extract)
To decorate
- 4 tbsp (40 g) 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 sugar and butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined and then add the extract and mix until combined.
- 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
How many days in advance can you make these and how do you store them
Hi! I haven’t stored these because honestly they go quickly all the time! I’m considering baking ahead for Christmas and freezing them this year (unfrosted). I would refer to this guide, which looks pretty comprehensive (these are a soft cookie not a crisp cookie, FYI) Keeping Cookies Fresh They easily last 2 or 3 days in a sealed tight container. If you are especially concerned about presenting them, I’d frost the day you want to eat.
I made them and froze them and two weeks later they were still delicious from the freezer
The whole time I was thinking I messed this up. My egg mixture never got “light and fluffy” and the dough wasn’t really sticky at all – looked nothing like the picture. The end result was that these tasted perfect! I have been searching for this cookie recipe for years since we moved from MA. The family recipe has been misplaced so the only time we can enjoy these cookies is when visiting the bakery in MA we used to live near. I’ve tried dozens of recipes online and none were the same. Next time I’m going to make them a little smaller. Mine did not cook on the top and I had to kind of ruin them by flipping them over. The frosting actually hid this well (which was also perfect btw other recipes had it way too thin). This was just a test batch and I will be making these again until I perfect them. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m soo soo glad to hear this! maybe try baking on a higher rack to get the top of the cookie baked more? But be careful because these don’t really need much color at all and you run the risk of drying them out. Enjoy!
I made these and they came out great. But in just a few hours, the nonpareils bled into the icing. I need to make a big batch for a fundraiser and they need to be turned in two days before the event. Any thoughts on how to stop the bleeding? They looked so awesome at first and now they just look sad (still taste great though!).
This has never happened to me! I searched the internet and come up with this possibility. Basically either change brand or try storing in a different way…I wonder if it was either an unusually humid day. I’m gonna dig deeper to see if I can help further
Instead of the little round nonpareils, I use the more cylinder sprinkle, the ones shaped like chocolate jimmies. I’ve never had them bleed into the icing.
I have had this happen. Try making the frosting a bit thicker. Add a little more confection sugar.
Made this recipe today , used almond extract. they came out great. I do agree possibly using crisco it a tiny bit more butter to make sure is moist, but will be fantastic with coffee.
Can these cookies be made into a chocolate flavor, but hope they won’t be dry then. I love the way people are saying how good they are, but I’m looking for a chocolate cookie with just about the texture these cookies have. Any help will be appreciated. Thanx.
Honestly, I’m not sure? There are fantastic chocolate cookies called mostaccioli that you might want to make instead? My mom makes a slightly different version than those in the link and I hope to post them sometime soon.
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
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 🙂