Belle's Italian Angeletti Cookies

I feel like I've been baking since the sun rose this morning.
My floured clothes and the delicious, warm cookie smell throughout the house is evidence enough. Never mind the trays and trays of baked goods that are currently occupying almost every square inch of the kitchen table and the island.

Have you done any holiday baking yet? Been to any cookie swaps?

Here are a few shots from today's work so far:

Double chocolate and peppermint cookies.

Angeletti. An Italian favorite of mine with a hint of lemon. 

Chocolate chip, walnut, raisin in the background. And classic chocolate chip in the foreground.


Sugar cookies and rainbow cookies are next on my list to make.

Before I head back into the kitchen land of sugar, butter, and flour, I thought I'd share my recipe for the Angeletti.  It is cookie-swapping season after all. And if I can't swap my favorite cookies with you, the least I can do is give you the recipe. It'll be a virtual cookie-swap of sorts.

Belle's Italian Angeletti Cookies:

What you'll need:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. sugar (granulated)
1/2 t. salt
4 T. unsalted butter, cold
4 T. shortening
2 eggs
1 t. grated lemon zet
4 T. lemon juice - 2 T. for the batter, 2 T. for the icing
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 t. almond OR anise extract (I use almond) 1t. for batter, 1/4 t. for the icing
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
multicolored nonparell sprinkles

How to Make:

• Preheat your oven(s) to 375 degrees
• Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl
• Cut your butter and your shortening into small bits and scatter over dry mixture
• Mix in the butter and shortening well - mixture should look sandy when done
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Add the lemon zest, 2 T. of the lemon juice, and both extracts
• Beat until combined
• Take about 1 tablespoon's worth of dough, roll it into a ball, and place on your lined baking sheet
• Repeat the above step until your sheet(s) are filled - *make sure each ball of dough is at least 2 inches apart
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are cracking and the bottoms are a light brown
• Once fully cooked, put them on a wire rack to cool
• While they cool, make the icing
• Whisk the confectioner's sugar, 2 T. lemon juice, and 1/4 almond (or anise) extract in a bowl until smooth
• Dunk the tops of each cookie in the glaze and sprinkle with the nonpareils 
• NOTE: ice and sprinkle only a few cookies at a time- if you wait too long between icing and sprinkling, the icing will be too dry for the sprinkles to stick
• Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving / wrapping-up
• NOTE: taste-testing is totally allowed seconds after icing and sprinkling!

Let me know how they turn out.
Hopefully they'll become one of your favorites too!


xo Belle