Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

Soft, White Italian Cookies

White Italian Cookies are a family favorite at JoJo's house. Every time there's a wedding or a family gathering, then these tasty little treats get made! They're also great during the holiday season, you can do as JoJo has done and make different colors and shapes.


Here's what JoJo says: "The cookie recipe has been in my family a very long time. My mom passed at the age of 83, her gramma used to make them. It's a nice spongy type of cookie. Soft yet firm. These have been to every wedding, shower, reunion etc in my family for years

Can you freeze Italian cookies?

Baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks. After baking, allow cookies to cool completely. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze them, then store them in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag labeled with the name and date.

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Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

How long do Italian cookies stay fresh?

Most homemade cookies will keep their taste and texture for up to 3 days. If you leave them out for too long, the cookies begin to harden or dry out. To prevent cookies from becoming stale, cover them with plastic wrap or keep them in an airtight container with a piece of fresh bread.

Recipe by JoJo Lanthier

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

10 - 12 Minutes

Yield

Approx 3 dozen.

Ingredients you will need

  • eggs
  • sugar
  • milk
  • oil
  • anise (optional)
  • all purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • salt

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Instructions

1. Beat eggs until fluffy, add sugar and continue to beat.

2. Add milk, oil, and anise.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder then add to wet ingredients slowly.

Take a piece of dough and roll it between your hands until you create a long string of dough, about 8 inches long and an inch wide.

Place rolled dough on the table and cut it into two-inch pieces. Take each piece and twist or tie each piece in a knot.

Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with some sugar.

Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

4. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (10-12 minutes) DO NOT OVER BAKE.

Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

5. Cool and frost with a mixture of powdered sugar and water, thin enough to dip the cookie in, and sprinkle if desired...I ADD ANISE TO THE FROSTING AS WELL.

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can leave the sugar frosting.

Tip: If you add 1 Tablespoon of flour to the frosting mix it will make it shiny.

Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

NOTES:
You can use food coloring and a tiny drop of anise for flavor.
I sometimes make a big bowl of white cookie dough, then separate it into small bowls and make different color cookies.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

White Italian Cookies

Yield: 3 Dozen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Soft, White Italian Cookies, dipped in a sugar glaze. A great family recipe, passed down the generations. Perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup plus 2 tsp oil
  • 2 tbsp anise
  • 6 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 5 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

    1. Beat eggs til fluffy, add sugar and continue to beat.
    2. Add milk, oil, and anise.
    3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder then add to wet ingredients slowly.
    4. Take a piece of dough and roll it between your hands until you create a long string of dough, about 8 inches long and an inch wide.
    5. Place rolled dough on the table and cut it into two-inch pieces. Take each piece and twist or tie each piece in a knot.
    6. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with some sugar.
    7. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown (10-12 minutes) DO NOT OVERBAKE.
    8. Cool and frost with a mixture of powdered sugar and water, thin enough to dip the cookie in, and sprinkle if desired.

Notes

  • If you add 1 Tablespoon of flour to the frosting mix it will make it shiny.
  • I sometimes use food coloring and a tiny drop of anise for flavor.
  • I make a big bowl of white then separate it into small bowls and make different color cookies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 108mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate

Cookies For Christmas

Here's a collection of delicious cookie recipes you can make for Christmas

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7 thoughts shared

  1. This recipe looks great and easy except you should post a comment between mixing ingredients and baking. I have never seen these cookies before and since you posted a photo, it would be nice if you detailed how you made the different shapes. One other thing, do they freeze well?

    1. yes these cookies freeze very well..as far as shapes i just twist or make braids,,twist and circle them,,the ones that look like little trees i roll the dough,,make little slices on 1 side then roll on a angel,,be sure not to make them to big these cookies grow as they bake,,they cannot be used in a cookie press

    1. Hi Jojo, what a coincidence you are also called the same name!! I’ve just asked JoJo for you about your question and she says this “you form any shape you like then you bake them” Does that make it a little clearer for you?