Anginetti Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies)
Dec 11, 2021, Updated Dec 07, 2024
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The BEST Anginetti cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies). The texture of these soft cookies is amazing (similar to butter cookies), and they literally melt in your mouth!
Italian wedding cookies are the perfect cookies for dipping in hot chocolate! Try these recipes: Authentic Thick Italian Hot Chocolate, or a more traditional, Homemade Chocolate Syrup (hot or cold).
If you love Italian cookies, try these recipes: Soft AMARETTI Cookies Sardinian Recipe and Basic Italian Biscotti (Cantucci) Dough, Heart Thumbprint Cookies Recipe with Jam, Homemade Italian Ladyfinger Recipe (Savoiardi), Italian Pignoli Cookies Recipe (pine nut). or Italian Butter Cookies.
What Is Anginetti
These traditional Italian cookies are frosted with simple sugar and milk glaze and topped with colorful sprinkles. They make special holiday cookies for Christmas, Easter, and weddings.
Similar cookies: Mexican wedding cookies, snowball cookies, spritz cookies, and Russian tea cookies. You will also love these Lemon Ricotta Cookies (Italian Recipe), Rainbow Cookies, Christmas Cookies, and Authentic Struffoli Recipe (Italian Honey Balls).
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
No fancy ingredients to make this Italian Cookie recipe.
- Butter
- Powdered sugar (more for icing)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- All-Purpose flour
- Salt
- Pure Lemon extract (other flavorings: pure vanilla extract, anise, lemon, orange, almond)
- Sprinkles for decorating
Full measurements are in the printable recipe card below.
How To Make Anginetti
The process of making these easy cookies is very simple.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well until incorporated.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt; Mix again on low speed until incorporated.
- The dough should be soft and sticky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- With a small cookie scoop, drop dough 1-inch balls onto prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2-inches apart.
- Bake cookies for about 12 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown.
- Remove cookies from cookie sheets and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
- For the glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, and lemon extract and mix until smooth. (You can substitute lemon juice or lemon drops for lemon extract here)
- Dip each cookie into the glaze. Top with sprinkles. Tip: dip in glaze and top with sprinkles just before serving. Allow cookies to dry before stacking.
- Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Variations
Traditionally, these cookies were flavored with lemon. But they are very commonly made with anise, almond, or even vanilla.
This is a very versatile cookie base recipe. You can substitute the almond or anise with vanilla, lemon, orange, or whatever flavoring you love best.
The traditional way to decorate these is to top them with a pretty white sugar simple glaze and add rainbow nonpareils (little pearls), or sprinkles. The white glaze looks like a snowy cap.
These kinds of sprinkles are available at most grocery stores.
Pro Tips
Do not add the glaze or sprinkles until right before serving the Italian wedding cookies. The sprinkle color could bleed into the glaze if it sits for too long.
Ball-Shape During Baking
Refrigerate Italian wedding cookies for at least an hour in order for the cookie to bake in their characteristic tall shape. If you don’t refrigerate the dough, it will come out flatter, more like a traditional drop cookie.
I love the look when they bake into a ball shape if you refrigerate the dough.
Storage
I like to store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. If frozen, freeze them unglazed. Prior to serving, just dip in glaze and then garnish with sprinkles.
They will keep up to three months in the freezer and about seven days in a food storage container on your counter. If you freeze them, frost them after they are thawed.
Serving Suggestions
These are a festive addition for holiday events and bridal showers and baby showers! This Italian cookie recipe is served at many wedding receptions.
It also makes the best Christmas cookie since you can change up the sprinkles on the tops of the cookies.
More Italian desserts you will love
- Zeppole Recipe (Easy Italian Donuts)
- Chiacchiere di Carnevale Recipe (Italian Fried Pastries)
- Simple Italian Apple Cake (one bowl)
- Easy Almond Sponge Cake with Italian Cream
- Classic Italian Tiramisu (without alcohol)
- Italian Cream Crumb Cake (sbriciolata alla crema)
- Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts Cream Filling
This popular cookie is ready for all your special occasions. They are soft, almost like a cross between a cake cookie and a traditional crispy cookie. They are an authentic taste of Italy right in your home!
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Print
Anginetti Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
Description
Authentic Italian Anginetti (also known as Italian wedding or Christmas cookies) are small and soft round cookies, often lemon, orange, anise, or almond flavored.
Ingredients
Anginetti Cookies
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons anise extract (or flavor with pure vanilla, orange, almond, or lemon extracts)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon almond, vanilla, or lemon extract (or extract of choice)
Colored Sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper an set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well until incorporated.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt; Mix again on low speed until incorporated.
- The dough should be soft and sticky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- With a small cookie scoop, drop dough 1-inch balls onto prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2-inches apart.
- Bake cookies for about 12 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown.
- Remove cookies from cookie sheets and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
- For glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk and lemon extract and mix until smooth.
- Dip each cookie into the glaze. Top with sprinkles. Tip: dip in glaze and top with sprinkles just before serving. Allow cookies to dry before stacking.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
If you want to freeze the cookies, freeze unfrosted and frost once thawed.
Top Tips
- Chill the dough: Don’t skip the 30-minute refrigeration step! It helps the dough firm up, making it easier to handle and preventing the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Measure flour accurately: Too much flour can make the cookies dense. Use the spoon-and-level method to avoid packing the flour. Or, weight your flour in grams 240 grams.
- Don’t overbake: Bake until just lightly golden. Overbaking can result in a dry texture.
- Cool before glazing: Ensure cookies are completely cooled before dipping in the glaze to prevent it from melting and becoming too runny.
- Glaze and sprinkle immediately: After dipping each cookie in the glaze, immediately add sprinkles to ensure they stick properly.
- Prep Time: 10 min (+30 minutes rest in refrigerator))
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sweet
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian
Delicious cookies! I will make them again. Thank you, Elena!
You are welcome! Happy you loved them!