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–+ servings

Italian Sugar Cookies

Soft and puffy, these delectable morsels melt in your mouth and put a smile on your face! Add colored sprinkles for a festive touch and enjoy them with coffee, tea, milk, or hot cocoa.
Based on a recipe from Taste of Home.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 36 cookies
Calories 117 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cookies

  • ¾ cup shortening
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp. salt

Icing

  • 2 tbsp. milk low fat or whole
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar sifted

Decoration

  • Food coloring and coarse sugar optional

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 400℉.
  • In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till well incorporated.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition.
  • Shape the dough into balls (about the size of a walnut). Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, being careful not to overbake (or they become dry and crumbly). Immediately transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Icing

  • Add the sifted confectioners sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix till smooth and thoroughly combined. Tint with food coloring, if using.
  • Working quickly, spread the icing onto the cookies with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar or other decoration, if using.
  • Place iced cookies on a rack with waxed paper underneath and let stand until the icing is set and no longer tacky.

Notes

  • The key to tender cookies is making sure they aren't overbaked. They will become dry and crumbly if they stay in the oven too long. Check them at 7 or 8 minutes, or earlier if your oven tends to cook hot.
  • If you opt for colored sprinkles on your cookies (like I do - it makes them look so festive!), try not to stack them one on top of the other when storing them. This can make the colors bleed into the icing. Store them in a single layer in an airtight container. 
Nutrition Facts
Italian Sugar Cookies
Amount per Serving
Calories
117
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
15
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
56
mg
2
%
Potassium
 
18
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
16
g
5
%
Fiber
 
0.3
g
1
%
Sugar
 
8
g
9
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
31
IU
1
%
Calcium
 
29
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.