Anginetti Cookies

Anginetti Cookies are soft and cakey with the BEST bright lemon flavor. Also known as Italian lemon drop cookies, this easy recipe stays moist for days and features a lemon glaze with rainbow nonpareils. Great for Christmas or anytime.

Course Cookies

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 13

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 33

Servings cookies

Calories 139kcal

Author Alyssa

Ingredients

Cookie

⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons lemon zest fairly well packed
4 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter softened
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 large eggs room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) milk any variety
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour spooned-and-leveled
1 Tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze

2 cups (240g) confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Add sugar to a mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer). Rub the lemon zest into the sugar for a minute or so, until well combined.
Add softened butter and cream on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine very well. In three increments add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix in until just combined and no dry streaks remain. The dough should be moldable into a ball shape but slightly sticky, soft, and moist when poked.
Cover the bowl snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Using a 1 ½-Tablespoon capacity cookie scoop, scoop cookies and roll between your hands. Place them at least two inches apart from one another on the parchment-lined pans.
Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the top is set and the bottom is golden to turning golden brown. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Once cooled, whisk together all glaze ingredients in a bowl. Grasp each cookie by its base and dunk it into the bowl of glaze, holding it over the bowl for a few seconds afterwards so excess glaze drips back in. Place on a wire rack, garnish with nonpareils, and let set fully before serving or storing.

Notes

Measuring Flour - If not weighing, stir up the flour so it's not packed down, then spoon it into a dry measuring up until overflowing. Level off the top with a straight-edge.
Baking Powder - Choose an aluminum-free variety if you have a sensitive palate that has ever picked up on metallic tinges in baking goods with a higher amount of baking powder.
Prevent Overspreading - Use fresh (cold) baking sheets for each batch, leave remaining dough in the fridge while another batch is baking so it doesn't overly warm up, and don't form larger cookies.
Reuse Parchment Paper - It can be reused quickly between batches as it doesn't retain heat. Also use it underneath the wire rack to catch drips of icing.
Storage Instructions - Store anginetti cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container with parchment or wax paper between layers. After 2-3 days you may notice the glaze begin to wrinkle and the nonpareils to bleed their colors.
Freezing Instructions - Bake and cool cookies, then freeze without glazing. Glaze once fully thawed.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.