Description
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these festive Italian cookies featuring a soft green-tinted dough, a hint of almond flavor, and a sweet vanilla glaze topped with holiday sprinkles. Perfectly tender and lightly golden, these glazed cookies bring a cheerful touch to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Green food coloring (a few drops)
- St. Patrick’s Day-themed sprinkles (optional)
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring (a drop or two)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the eggs one at a time to fully incorporate them, then add both the vanilla and almond extracts to infuse the dough with flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning throughout the dough.
- Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms. Add a few drops of green food coloring and mix well to create an even tint throughout the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls and place them spaced on the prepared baking sheet to allow room for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops look set, ensuring the cookies are cooked through but remain tender.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and green food coloring until smooth and pourable for an even coating.
- Glaze and Decorate: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, then immediately add festive St. Patrick’s Day-themed sprinkles while the glaze is still wet so they adhere nicely.
- Set and Serve: Allow the glaze to set fully before serving or storing the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- For a subtler almond flavor, reduce the almond extract to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Cookies can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
