Easter Cookies Recipe

Celebrate Easter Italian style with these delicately glazed cookies made from a simple Easter cookies recipe. Cookies with the light flavor of lemon, sweetened with a light lemon glaze, and decorated with colorful sprinkles, are an Easter tradition for Italian families. These Easter cookies are simple to make are the perfect finish to an Easter feast.

To make Easter cookies, you will need:

• 6 eggs
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract  

To make Easter cookie glaze, you will need:

• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• Sprinkles

1. Prepare the ingredients.  Measure the flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well or sift together. Break eggs into a separate bowl and beat well until fluffy. Measure shortening into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Mix ingredients. Add the shortening and lemon extract to the flour mixture and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the beaten eggs and blend to create stiff dough. All the ingredients should be completely blended and smooth.
3. Preheat the over. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with shortening, oil, or non stick spray. Roll the Italian Easter cookie dough into one inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for twelve minutes until the bottom of the Italian Easter cookies are golden brown. The top of the Italian Easter cookies will not be brown. Make the glaze while the cookies are baking.
4. Make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and mix until completely smooth. Remove the hot Italian Easter cookies from the oven, drop each cookie into the glaze one at a time, and use a slotted spoon to remove it. Dip each Italian Easter cookie in the glaze twice, then place on a wire cooling rack. Top the glazed cookie with sprinkles as soon as it is placed on the cooling rack. Yields 24 Italian Easter cookies.

Tips and Warnings:

• Place newspaper, paper towels, or waxed paper under the wire cooling racks to catch the dripping glaze and cut down on cleanup.
• The glaze will have lumps if the powdered sugar is not sifted. Sifted powdered sugar is easier to blend into a smooth glaze.