Italian Easter Cookies with Lemon (Print Version)

Soft lemon-kissed cookies topped with vanilla icing and colorful sprinkles, ready in 35 minutes.

# What You 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)

# Directions:

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.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, mixing until a soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into 4-inch logs. Shape each log into a ring and pinch the ends to seal.
07 - Place rings on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and slightly thick.
10 - Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing, then sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Allow icing to set before serving.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is incredibly forgiving, so even if you overmix a little, you still get tender cookies
  • That perfect balance of citrus and vanilla makes them impossible to stop eating
02 -
  • Overworking the dough makes cookies tough, so stop mixing as soon as everything comes together
  • The icing should be thick enough to coat a spoon but thin enough to drip off, so adjust carefully
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients make the difference between a dough that comes together easily and one that fights you
  • The bottoms should be just barely golden when you take them out, as they continue cooking on the hot pan

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