These traditional Italian cookies are as easy as it gets, and everybody loves them. The citrus flavoring renders them inviting, and most likely you have had them at Italian family celebrations such as weddings, confirmations, and baptisms. Not too sweet, these cookies will keep for a week or two in a cookie container.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 6 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
for the glaze
Preparation
Step 1
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Pour in the vanilla, the juices, and the zest, and beat to combine. Turn the mixer off, pour in the flour mixture, and mix on low just to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic, and let rest in refrigerator 1 hour.
Step 2
Roll the dough into four logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long. Chill or freeze the logs for 20 minutes, until firm enough to cut without losing their shape.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch rounds, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in oven, and bake until the cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove, and cool the cookies completely on wire racks.
Step 4
To glaze the cookies: Sift confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, and whisk in the orange juice to make a smooth glaze. Dip a cookie in the glaze; it should stick to the cookie in a thin layer. If not, adjust the consistency of glaze with more juice or confectioners’ sugar. Dip the top of the baked cookies in glaze, and let dry on wire racks.
