Italian Easter Cookies (Taralli Dolci di Pasqua)
These traditional Italian Easter Cookies originate from the south of Italy – a region that takes their cookies seriously! These simple shortbreads are so easy to make – the dough comes together really nicely, and it’s surprisingly simple to get them in their quintessential “doughnut” shape. The cookies themselves aren’t too sweet, and they’re fragrant with vanilla and lemon zest. The lemony glaze gives them a great zippy citrus flavor and sweetness, and if you have sprinkles on hand, it’s a perfect time to use them to get these cookies looking festive.




Italian Easter Cookies (Taralli Dolci di Pasqua)
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INGREDIENTS:
For the cookie:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
- multicolored sprinkles if desired
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to combine into a shaggy dough. Turn the mixture onto a lightly flour surface and knead 3 or 4 times to bring together into a smooth dough. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 5 inch rope. Form each rope into a circle and place 6 cookies on each of the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are puffed and deep golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on the trays for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, water, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cookies, and add sprinkles if desired. Allow the glaze to harden, and serve.
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Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman
Delicious Giada, and the glaze super yummy too. I had to roll a bit longer and thinner the dough since it grows inside the oven, the hole closes up. so i tried first with 2 cookies and then I thinned them out some more to make the hole bigger and it worked perfectly. BUONA PASQUA !!!!