1. Recipes

How to Make Italian Easter Cookies (Biscotti) - A Step-by-Step Guide

Italian Easter Cookies, also known as Biscotti di Pasqua, are a traditional Italian dessert that is enjoyed during the Easter holiday. These delightful cookies are full of festive flavors and are a perfect addition to any Easter celebration. The cookies are shaped like small nests, symbolizing new life and new beginnings, and are often topped with colorful sprinkles or candy-coated eggs to create a visually stunning presentation.

One of the best things about making Italian Easter Cook...

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Ingredients

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shortening (such as butter-flavored Crisco®)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 teaspoons anise extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons anise extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk, or as needed
  • ¼ cup sprinkles, or as needed

Information

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Additional Time: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
  • Servings: 72
  • Yield: 6 dozen cookies

  • Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  • Cream together shortening and white sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well after each. Add 2 teaspoons anise extract and vanilla extract. Slowly add milk and mix until all ingredients are blended. Slowly add flour mixture, and mix until thick but creamy. Place dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Coat a work surface and hands with flour. Take a quarter-sized piece of dough and roll into a long narrow sausage shape. Form into desired shapes, such as "s" shapes, twists, candy canes, letters, etc. Cookies will puff up when baked, so be sure each cookie is only about the width of a pinky finger. Place cookies on a baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until light golden in color and golden brown on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons anise extract. Mix in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and creamy and not too drippy. Coat cooled cookies with icing and top with sprinkles.

    • Nutrition

    91 cal.

    • Total Fat: 3g
    • Saturated Fat: 1g
    • Cholesterol: 11mg
    • Sodium: 79mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 13g
    • Dietary Fiber: 0g
    • Total Sugars: 5g
    • Protein: 2g
    • Calcium: 30mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 23mg

    Categories

    Dessert recipes
    Baking recipes
    Easter recipes
    Italian recipes
    Cookie recipes