Published: · Modified: by Igor · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments
Soft, pillowy, and filled with lemon flavor, these Italian Lemon Cookies (Anginetti) are perfect for any occasion. They are not too sweet and have a hint of vanilla you will love. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
There is no hit and miss when we talk about Italian cuisine. You can blindly make any of their dishes and they will turn out great. That's why I am a huge fan and you will see lots and lots of Italian dishes on this blog. This time it's a dessert! Let me present you these Italian Lemon Cookies called Anginetti. They are everything you want cookies to be. Soft and pillowy, not too sweet, perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
Information on these cookies is almost absent on the internet. Recipes - plenty of them; history or something like that - no, sir. Everything I have managed to find is that they are traditional in southern regions of Italy and their motherland is Naples. Well, we can't munch the history with a cup of tea, so we can live without it, I guess! The most important thing is the recipe itself and thanks God we have it.
These Italian lemon cookies are high on my dessert chart mainly because, as already mentioned, they are not too sweet. Lemon zest inside them and lemon juice flavoredconfectioners’ icing give these cookies a fresh, lemony taste which I love so much. The hint of vanilla is on point too. Colored sprinkles are optional but believe me, cookies look so much better with them (if you care for presentation).
To conclude, I want to say that if you are looking for some homemade tasty baked goods, these Italian lemon cookies are a no-brainer. They are light and buttery with the fantastic lemon flavor. These cookies are perfect for a tea party or a holiday dinner. Keep in mind that they disappear at a speed of light!
Italian Lemon Cookies - Anginetti
CookingTheGlobe
These lemon cookies coming from Italy are soft, pillowy, and not too sweet. You will love the fantastic lemon flavor!
4 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Cuisine Italian
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the icing:
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- colored sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
The cookies. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and butter with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. After adding all the eggs, beat for 1 minute more. Stir in baking powder and flour and blend just until mixed. Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 1 hour. The dough will be sticky, so we chill it to make it easier to handle.
To form the knots, roll the dough into logs, about 5 inches long. Take one side and spiral the log into a circle. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown.
The icing. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and water. Whisk until the sugar melts. If icing is too thick, add some more water.
Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool. Brush the icing over the cookies. If using, top with colored sprinkles. Let the cookies to dry for about an hour. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from "Italian Desserts" by Anthony Parkinson
Nutrition
Calories: 145kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Oriana @Mommyhood's Diary
I'm a huge fan of Italian cuisine too! And these cookies looks amazing. Pinned.Igor
Thanks, Oriana! They taste amazing too 🙂
Reply
Connie
This recipe looks delicious. How do you measure the amount for each cookie after the batter is chilled?
Reply
Heather Dimetres
December 11, 2016
I tried this recipe for the first time today. They came out wonderful. Easy to make, easy to eat ?. The icing was spot on, and these cookies taste like, right out of a bakery. Thank for this recipe. I will definitely make these cookies again.
Sincerely,
Heather
Aka PandarificReply
Igor
I am so happy that the cookies turned out great for you and you loved them, Heather! Thanks for getting back to leave a comment! 🙂
Reply
Diphanie Medina
What happens of my dough is too sticky after being in the fridge? Help! I'm not sure what to do now, except make them colder maybe?? I followed 100%
Reply
Igor
Try adding more flour 🙂 It can be a little bit sticky, it's just how it is. Or try refrigerating for a longer period of time 🙂
Reply
LDAY
Just tried these cookies yesterday and they turned out exactly as described. My friends and family loved them. I might try adding a little more lemon next time to the cookie dough. Thanks for sharing this recipe.Reply
Igor
I am happy your friends and family loved these 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Reply
Kelly
I just made these for my boyfriend and his grandmother and the texture is fantastic, the only changes I made was to add about 2-3 extra teaspoons of flour to thicken up the dough because beforehand it resembled more of a batter. They have a very mild lemon flavor so if you want more lemon flavor, double the zest and sprinkle some extra zest coated with sugar on top of the shaped cookies right before you pop them into the oven. I'm trying these with lavender next time for a summer twist. And making a different version with lime instead of the lemon - I recommend this recipe to anyone. My cookies were tiny and took less than 12 minutes to cook and become lightly browned around the edges ♥ Thank you!Reply
Igor
You are welcome, Kelly! I am glad you loved the recipe. Oh and thanks for your suggestions!
Reply
Celena
Do they have to be tied in a knot? I’ll they cook fine in a ball too? Trying to make enough cookies for 150 people and that’s a lot of knots!
Reply
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