Italian Easter Cookies (Printable)

Soft lemon Italian cookies decorated with colorful sprinkles for Easter celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
09 - 2 tablespoons milk

→ Icing

10 - 1 cup powdered sugar
11 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Decoration

13 - Colored sprinkles (nonpareils or confetti)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk. Mix until soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into 4-inch logs. Shape each log into a ring and pinch ends to seal.
07 - Place rings on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden.
08 - Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and slightly thick.
10 - Dip top of each cooled cookie into icing, then sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Allow icing to set before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly soft, like little clouds of sweet comfort that melt in your mouth
  • That bright lemon zest cuts through the sweetness just enough to keep you reaching for another
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the sprinkles, making these perfect for getting little ones involved in the kitchen
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients make all the difference between cookies that spread perfectly and ones that misbehave in the oven
  • The icing should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, not runny like water
  • Work quickly when adding sprinkles or theyll slide right off that beautiful white glaze
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before cutting them, then squeeze the juice for lemonade later
  • If dough feels too sticky, chill it for 15 minutes before shaping
  • Work in batches when icing so sprinkles dont dry before you can apply them

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