Tender Italian Sugar Cookie Recipes

TENDER ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIE

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• 2. Shape dough into 1 1/2 in. balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degree for 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• 3. For Icing: In a small bowl, combine the milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Dip the tops of cookies in icing; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

TENDER CRISP SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture; mix to blend.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Dip in regular or colored sugar or decorator sprinkles. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a water glass.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes. *Larger cookies bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In another large bowl, using a hand mixer on medium, beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in eggs and extracts for 30 seconds, then add half of the flour mixture. Beat until fully incorporated, then add remaining half of the flour mixture.
• Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. For a more smooth appearance, you can roll the cookies into balls but that is optional.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just lightly golden and cookies start to crack on top.
• Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
• Whisk together powdered icing sugar, milk, melted butter, and your choice of flavor extract. Adjust the consistency with additional powdered sugar or milk, it should be thin.
• Spoon approximately one tablespoon of icing onto each cookie. Come back and add sprinkles once the glaze has started to set (so the sprinkles don't just roll off).
• Allow icing to set for 30 minutes before serving or storing.

SOFT ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together (I use a whisk) and gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Shape dough into 1-1/2" balls.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool after 2 minutes.
• ****FOR ICING****.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Tint with food coloring (I prefer the gel) if desired.
• ****DECORATING****.
• Dip the cooled cookies into the icing.
• Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired.
• Place on waxed paper until icing is set.

ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Add buttermilk, flavor extracts, baking soda and cream of tarter and blend well.
• Now by hand with a wooden spoon, add flour 1 cup at a time until the mixture is stiff.
• Drop from heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. If not icing you may press on the nuts or sprinkles now (or you can ice or frost and decorate with sprinkles after baking).
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven, center oven rack, 10 to 13 minutes or until cookie edges are slightly brown and tops look set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Overbaking cause dry, hard cookies.
• Carefully remove to rack to cool. Frost or decorate as desired.
• Notes: recipe may be halved, cookies freeze well, for best baking use an insulated baking sheet as these tend to burn on the bottom. Store airtight.