Italian Cookies With Sprinkles Recipes

Steps:

• Using a heavy-duty electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs until light and foamy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In another mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder; gradually add shortening and extracts until a bead-like texture is formed.
• Gradually add beaten eggs (dough will be stiff).
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.
• The tops of the cookies will not brown, but the bottoms should brown slightly.
• For glaze, combine milk and extracts in a large bowl.
• Add sugar; whisk until all lumps are dissolved and the glaze is smooth.
• As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly immerse two or three at a time into the glaze. Remove with a slotted spoon or fingers.
• Place cookies on wire racks to drain.
• Quickly top with sprinkles.
• Let dry 24 hours before storing in airtight containers.

Steps:

• Using a heavy-duty mixer, beat eggs on high speed until light and foamy, about 5 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and baking powder; on low speed, gradually beat in shortening and extracts until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gradually add beaten eggs (dough will be stiff). , Roll dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes (tops of the cookies will not brown, but bottoms should brown slightly). , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip 2 or 3 at a time into glaze. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs; place on wire racks to drain. Immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry for 24 hours before storing in airtight containers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until very fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and continue to beat very well for an additional 4 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined.
• Put the dough into a pastry bag or cookie press fitted with a star tip. On an ungreased cookie sheet, pipe cookies in 2-inch lines, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes (this will help them retain their shape when baking).
• Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Spread a little more than half a teaspoon of jam on half of the cookies, then top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Place in the freezer for another 5 minutes to help set while you prepare the chocolate.
• Toss together the chocolate and the oil and place in a microwave-safe mug. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. Put the rainbow sprinkles onto a plate.
• Working quickly, dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate, then roll in the sprinkles. Place finished cookies on a tray lined with either wax or parchment paper to set completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for about 1 week.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt. Add eggs and 2 cups flour; mix well. Turn onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour (dough will be soft). With a floured knife or scissors, cut into 20 pieces. With hands, roll each piece into pencil shapes. Cut "pencils" into 1/2-in. pieces. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 350°. Fry pieces, a few at a time, for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place in a large bowl. Heat honey to boiling; pour over cookies and mix well. With a slotted spoon, spoon onto a serving platter and slowly mound into a tree shape if desired. Decorate with candy sprinkles. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Stir in anise extract and lemon extract. Blend in eggs. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl; blend into egg mixture until dough is almost crumbly but stays together when you roll it in your hands.
• Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar and milk in a bowl. Glaze cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.

Steps:

• Place oven racks in the top and bottom third positions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until light and smooth, 1 minute more. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 2-inch lines, spaced 1-inch apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies per tray). Bake in the oven until the cookies are set on top and golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on the sheet trays. Once the cookies are set, transfer all onto one tray, leaving 1 cooled tray to bake the remaining dough (you'll have enough for about 12 more cookies).
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50-percent power in 15 second increments. Pipe or spread the flat sides of half of the cookies with about 1 teaspoon jam each, going almost to the edges. Sandwich with the remaining cookies (you should have about 18 sandwiches). Allow the jam to set for 2 hours or overnight, if you have time. Otherwise, it's okay to go ahead and start dipping your sandwich cookies into the chocolate (it just might be a little slippery.).
• Dip the lower third of the cookies in the chocolate letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle with the sprinkles on both sides. Lay back on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate set.
• Tip: To make uniformly sized cookies, use a ruler and a marker or pen to draw 2-inch lines on 2 sheets of parchment paper in a 3-by-4-inch grid. Flip the parchment over and place on 2 baking sheets so the marker side is down but you can still see the lines. Using the lines as a template, pipe the dough in 2-inch lines on the baking sheets, using a paring knife or shears, if needed, to cut the dough from the piping bag in straight edges.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together the dry ingredients.
• Add sugar and mix well.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
• Form the dough into small one-inch balls (or roll into a long 'snake' and twist into desired shapes).
• If dough in dry and crumbly add a bit of milk at a time to get it to the right consistency.
• Place on cookie sheet and bake till golden brown (apporximately 7-8 min).
• Frosting: Add milk and extract to the confectioners sugar and mix well.
• You do not want a watery consistency nor a cake frosting consistency, but just thick enough to have some remain on the cookie and drizzle (slowly) down the sides.
• Dip top of ball into the frosting and allow to sit for a few seconds before topping with sprinkles.
• If allowed to dry, sprinkles will not adhere.