Smart Cookies: Italian Butter Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Every Christmas, I make Italian Butter Cookies with Lemon Glaze. Brian’s grandmother, Grandma Yo, made them for most celebrations, but always had them at Christmas time. They are light and almost refreshing, and perfect with a cup of tea. Since most people are looking for a little something lighter this time of year, I thought they would be a perfect Smart Cookie recipe for the month of January. Technically they are still cookies, but they are not as heavy, and may serve as a small reward for all the time put in at the gym.

The recipe is fairly straight forward, but they do require a little bit of effort to create the little doughnut like shapes.

 

Grandma Yo’s Italian Butter Cookies with Lemon Glaze

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 stick butter melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp pure lemon extract
1 – 3 Tbs milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another large mixing bowl beat together sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until well incorporated. Next, slowly add flour mixture until soft dough is formed.

 

Next, take about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a thin log and then form into a doughnut shape as shown below.

 

Place on baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

 

While cookies cool, mix together powdered sugar, lemon extract, and milk until a thin glaze is formed. When cookies are cooled, dip into glaze. Store in a air tight container.

For more information regarding Smart Cookies or to volunteer visit their website at http://smart-cookies.org.

To look back at past Smart Cookie recipes you can click here, here, and here.