Italian Easter Cookies

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 48
Yield: 48 servings

Description

Tender Italian Easter cookies flavored with vanilla and almond are topped with icing and colorful sprinkles for a cute and delicious Easter treat.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons milk
3 drops red food coloring
candy sprinkles

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2 To make the cookies: Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. Combine flour and baking powder; stir into milk mixture to form a dough.
3 Roll dough into 1-inch balls; roll the balls out on a lightly floured surface into 5-inch long ropes. Bring one end over the other, then underneath and through the middle, like a loose knot; place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
4 Bake in the preheated oven until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown, about 5 minutes on the bottom shelf, then 5 minutes on the top shelf. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 To make the icing: Beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla, and almond extract with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat in milk, one tablespoon at a time. Add food coloring and stir until well combined.
6 Dip cooled cookies upside down into the icing then sprinkle with candy sprinkles.