Italian Easter Cookies Are a Sweet Tradition

Italian Easter cookies are a soft, cake-like treat glazed with icing and adorned with colorful sprinkles. They’re so festive for the holiday!

I’m excited to share a really fun recipe with you today that you may not have heard of before. Italian Easter cookies, known as “biscotti pasquali” in Italy, are delightful sweet treats that embody the spirit of Easter and springtime celebrations.

These unique cookies are soft, cake-like in texture, and often shaped into forms like eggs, doves, or simple rounds to symbolize new life and renewal.

Typically, they are glazed with a light icing and adorned with colorful sprinkles, adding a festive touch. The dough for these cookies is flavored with vanilla or citrus zest, giving them a fresh, bright flavor that’s perfect for the season.

Not only are Italian Easter cookies a delicious treat, but they also carry the warmth of tradition, often being made in family gatherings as part of the holiday preparations.

And I’m excited to show you how to make them today! It’s a very easy recipe, and at the end you’re going to have a delicious dessert the whole family will love.

So, let’s dust off the flour canister and preheat the oven. It’s time to bake not just cookies, but memories, crafting a batch of cookies that might just become a tradition in your own home.

Scroll down to discover the recipe that connects you to the heart of Italy, to the spirit of Easter, and perhaps, to a piece of history you can hold in your hand (and then eat, of course). Let the baking begin!

Tips for Making Delicious Cookies

Before you dive into this recipe, I’ve got some tips for you on making the best (and tastiest) cookies. If you’re interested, check them out. Otherwise scroll to the bottom for the peanut butter blossom recipe.

Use Quality Ingredients

Use high-quality, fresh ingredients for the best cookie flavor and texture. You’ll for sure want to get fresh eggs, good quality butter, and pure vanilla extract (instead of imitation).

Measure Precisely

Flour is often the main dry ingredient in these cookies. Measure using the scoop-and-level method, as adding too much flour can result in dry baked goods.

Bring Cold Ingredients to Room Temp

Bring ingredients like butter, and eggs to room temperature before mixing. They will incorporate better, resulting in smoother batter and soft cookies. They don’t need to be warm; slightly cool to room temp is fine.

Avoid Overmixing

Mix the batter just until ingredients are combined, or the dry disappears into the wet. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.

Chill the Dough

Chilling the cookie dough in the fridge for the specified time (or even overnight) before baking allows the flavors to meld and the fats to solidify. This results in cookies with better flavor and texture. It also prevents them from spreading too much during baking.

Look for Golden Edges

Unless the recipe says otherwise, the edges of the cookies should turn a golden brown while the center remains slightly soft. This balance ensures a chewy texture without overbaking.

Cool Before Transferring

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set and avoids them becoming too fragile and crumbling apart.

Remember, practicing and experimenting will help you perfect your baking skills over time. Have fun and enjoy the process of creating delicious baked goods! Here’s what you’re going to need for this cookie recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Pastel colored Nonpareils

Tips and Thoughts for This Recipe

• Best served at room temperature.
• Do not over bake the cookies. They should be removed from the oven once they start to lightly brown.
• Cookies may crack a bit while cooking but glaze will cover it.
• You can add either more confectioners sugar or milk to get the right consistency of the glaze. It shouldn’t be too runny or too thick.
• Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

The taste is similar to a shortbread cookie, with a bit more sweetness from glaze. These are great to serve with tea or coffee.

Get the printable recipe card for these cookies below:

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If you enjoyed this cookie recipe, let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to try some of these others Easter desserts I think you will love:

Carrot Cake • Carrot Cake Cookies • Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies • Carrot Rice Krispie Treats • Cheesecake Eggs • Creme Egg Brownies • Easter Bark • Easter Cupcakes • Easter M&M Cookies • Lemon Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies • Lemon Cookie Bars • Lemon Cookies with Glaze • Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies • Lemon Meringues • Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf • Lemon Shortbread Cookies • Mini Egg Cupcakes • Oreo Dirt Pudding