Italian Holiday Cookies

This is a classic Italian cookie recipe from our guest blog editor Dan Pelosi of GrossyPelosi. He says that you can flavor the cookies with any combo of anise extract, lemon extract, almond extract, or vanilla extract, and then argue endlessly with every other Italian you know about the correct way it should be done. Luckily, his Italian Holiday Cookie recipe works with any combo of extracts you like, though he prefers the almond and vanilla combo slightly above the rest.

Cookies

6 cups all purpose flour

6 heaping teaspoons baking powder

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup shortening or softened unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Icing 

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Food coloring, optional

Sprinkles

For the cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl to combine. Set aside.

Place sugar and shortening in another large mixing bowl, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the salt, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract and milk and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir again just to combine. Batter will be very sticky. 

Roll dough into 1" balls and place on a sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Allow cookies to cool before icing.

For the icing: 

Whisk together powdered sugar, water, almond extract and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Add drops of food coloring to the icing if desired to tint.

Place a cooling rack inside of a sheet pan. Dip the cooled cookies into the icing and place on the cooling rack. Decorate with sprinkles and allow icing to set.