Italian Christmas Cookies

I grew up eating these, every year my Aunt Jo would welcome everyone that could possibly squeeze around her kitchen table to help her roll these cookies out. Some of us were better than others, and that just added to the fun of it. She could always tell which ones my mom rolled, telling her to not be so rough with the dough!

I really didn't care for the flavor that much when I was young. Anise is a acquired taste that you come to appreciate as you get older. Sambuca anyone? It tastes like black licorice, and people love it or hate it. You can always substitute lemon or almond extract if you're a licorice hater. It was more about the tradition, and the time spent with family and friends you adored. Telling stories and making jokes while cranking out hundreds and hundreds of cookies.

I haven't made these in too many years to mention, but I'm finding myself craving them to go with my morning coffee this season. They are especially good dunked.
I hope you enjoy them as well and add them to your holiday treats.
Here is my Aunt Josephine's recipe cut down to approximately 6 dozen instead of the 30 that she used to do every year.

For the cookie dough:
2  3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
¼ tsp of salt
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 stick of melted butter (Do not use margarine or butter substitute)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
¼ cup whole milk
1 tsp of anise extract (or lemon, almond, or even vanilla)

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5-8 teaspoons of milk
1 tsp of whichever extract you put in the dough
nonpareils / sprinkles for decorating

Preheat oven to 325°

Use nonstick cookie trays or line with parchment paper

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with your mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended, then add the milk and extract and beat for a minute until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a whisk or fork until combined.

SLOWLY add the flour mixture, a little at a time to the wet ingredients and mix until well blended.

The dough will be tacky but easy to work with. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour. You can just drop teaspoon size balls onto the cookie sheets, or get creative with shapes like wreaths, candy canes, or simple logs that I think are best for dunking.

Space them at least an inch or two apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly golden brown.

Prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, milk and extract together until smooth (Add the milk a spoon at a time to desired consistancy). Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze and sprinkle with festive nonpareils while still wet. (Do this over cooling racks to help with the recycling of spilt sprinkles!)

Let sit out until glaze hardens. They then can be stacked in cookie tins or bagged.

Enjoy! Boun Natale!