Tuesday, March 24, 2015

How to Make ANGINETTI - Italian Lemon Cookies for Easter by author Cleo Coyle



From Cleo Coyle: In my big Italian family, these light lemony cookies with a sweet glaze often made their appearance during the holidays. With colorful sprinkles added, anginetti make wonderful cookies for Easter. The bright lemon flavor is perfect for welcoming spring, and because the dough can be formed into many traditional shapes, the cookies are fun to make with children. Even the littlest ones will be able to add the colored sprinkles...


FYI - These colorful sprinkles (nonpareils) are what make these cookies especially popular for Italian weddings. And if you've ever been to an Italian wedding, then you know about the cookie table. In my family, those tables were always piled high with homemade specialties from cousins, aunts, mothers, and grandmothers of the bride and groom.

As for the anginetti, the sprinkles evoke the longstanding wedding tradition of giving guests almonds coated with hard-sugar shells as favors. Because almonds have a bittersweet taste, they represent the truth of married life, but the sugarcoating represents the hope that the newlyweds' life will be more sweet than bitter. 


May these cookies add
little sweetness to your life...



Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery
 series with her husband.
To learn more, click here


A Note from Author Cleo Coyle

This recipe is very close to one made by my beloved late aunt Mary. I've mentioned Aunt Mary on this blog in other recipe posts. She was born in Italy, and she helped my mother raise me and my sister, Grace.

For years, I was her little assistant cook, and I always think of her with love whenever I make a recipe she taught me.

My beloved aunt,
Mary Capaccio
Buona Pasqua, Aunt Mary, 
I miss you and love you!

May you all have a

happy Easter season...

~ Cleo














🍴

To download this recipe in a
free PDF document that you
can print, save, or share,

http://www.coffeehousemysteries.com/userfiles/file/Anginetti-Cleo-Coyle.pdf



Cleo Coyle's Anginetti
(Glazed Italian Lemon Cookies)

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (grated from rind, no white pith)

1/8 teaspoon table salt (about two pinches)

3 large eggs (lightly whisked with fork)

1/4 cup whole milk

4 teaspoons baking powder


2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

Step 1 – Make your dough: Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts, lemon zest, and salt. 
Add the eggs and beat for a full minute until light and fluffy. Add the milk and baking powder and beat for another 30 seconds. Finally, blend in the flour, but take care not to over-mix at this stage or you will develop the gluten and your cookies will be tough. The dough will be soft and sticky. Be sure to chill the dough at least 1 hour—cold dough is easier to work with. AND use flour-dusted hands when working with the dough. If storing overnight, take out dough, pat into a disc and tightly wrap in plastic.


Step 2 – Bake: Preheat your oven to 350 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon sheets or lightly coat surface with non-stick spray. Use floured hands to work with your sticky dough. Break off pieces and form into one or more of these classic shapes. 


For lemon drops, simply roll pieces of dough into 1-inch balls. 

For love knots, roll pieces of dough between palms to form ropes. Tie the ropes into small knots. Again, be sure to pre-chill the sticky dough and use flour-dusted hands when working with it.

For rings, form the ropes into circles instead and press ends together. If needed, use a drop of water to act as glue.

Bake about 10 to 15 minutes.


NOTE: Do not overcook. The cookies will not brown on top, so look for a light golden browning on the bottoms. See my photo. Baking time of 10 to 15 minutes will vary, depending on your oven. For mine it's 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool before glazing and decorating.

Step 3 – Make the glaze: 
Into a bowl sift 2 cups powdered sugar. In a separate, small bowl place 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (you should be able to extract this from 1 large lemon). Add 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract and 2 teaspoons water

Add the lemon juice mixture to the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Fork-whisk until the glaze reaches the consistency you wish. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If too thick, add a bit more water and blend until smooth.

(See my photos to help you gauge how
 the glaze on the cookies should look.)


TO GLAZE COOKIES: Dip the tops of cooled cookies into the glaze, turn once or twice, then lift, letting the extra glaze drip off. Allow the cookies to sit on a rack undisturbed until the glaze sets (about 15 minutes). Sprinkles must be added while the glaze is still wet. Again, allow the glaze to dry before serving.






http://www.coffeehousemysteries.com/userfiles/file/Anginetti-Cleo-Coyle.pdf
CLICK HERE to download
this recipe as a free PDF
that you can print, save
or share, and may you...









Eat (and read) with joy!


New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries and
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries



Cleo (Alice) with her husband Marc

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17 comments:

  1. These look delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words. Happy spring (it's coming, I promise).

      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  2. The cookies look so yummy!!! Mmmmm... cookies....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen, those were exactly my thoughts this very morning, while pondering my "healthy" breadfast choices. Thank you for stopping by.

      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  3. those are beautiful Cleo--and I love the story of your aunt. What a gift she gave you! and now you're giving it back--thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lucy/Roberta. My time with my Aunt was indeed a gift and she will always be with me. I only have to cook or bake one of her wonderful recipes and all those sweet memories return.

      ~ Cleo.
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  4. Adorable! I love the little knots. And one can never have too many cookie recipes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sheila, and you are so right. There's no such phrase as "enough cookie recipes" in my vocabulary!

      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  5. Seeing the pictures of your glazed lemon cookies has my taste buds all excited as lemon is my favorite fruit flavor for every dessert. I haven't made these cookies in years. Our family also does a cookie table for special events and the last time I made these particular cookies was for our daughter's baby shower 7 years ago I believe. So it is definitely time!!!! Thank you for reminding me of this beautiful flavored cookie, Cleo. I may tint the glaze in soft shades of yellow, pink and blue for Easter this year. I know the grandchildren will like that . Thank you and Happy Easter to you and Marc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A very Happy Easter to you. And please, if you can, give us a little advanced notice so we can all show up at your next delightfully delicious cookie table!

      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  6. How beautiful, and how delightful! The only anginetti cookies I'd ever tasted before were Stella D'Oro. NOT the same thing. These are so lovely, I can't wait to make them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laine – Thank you for the sweet words, and I hope you enjoy the recipe! I’m glad you mentioned the Stella D'Oro anginetti. The company discontinued them in recent years, and I know fans of these cookies greatly miss them. But I should point out that the Stella D’Ooro anginetti and my homemade anginetti are different. The Stella D’Oro version is very dry and light, more like a meringue cookie. My anginetti (like the ones I grew up eating) are also very light (that’s why the recipe has so much baking powder in it—to produce a very light cookie). After a day or so they also become somewhat dry...the good kind of dry, like biscotti, great for dunking into coffee or tea. But my anginetti are nowhere near as hard and crunchy as the Stella D’Oro version. My recipe produces more of a cake-like cookie that is very light inside but with a nice crispy exterior and you’ll get a nice little crunch from the dried glaze, as well. I hope that helps with the differences in the cookies. And thanks so much for dropping in today, Laine, it’s always a pleasure to see you in the Kitchen!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  7. Your attention to detail is marvelous. It is really helpful to see all those steps, especially the before and after baking shots and the comparison of the tops and bottoms of the properly baked cookies.
    Your Aunt is smiling widely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Libby – Cheers for that image of my Aunt Mary smiling. She meant a lot to me, as you can tell. If I can pass along even a little of her wisdom, positive energy, and wish that we all eat with joy—then my work is done. :) Thanks again for the generous comment and for being such a supportive follower of us here at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. We appreciate it!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  8. Mr. Right and I have been craving cookies. Adding this to the list of options for a massive cookie baking day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leslie - Massive cookie baking day? Oh, boy, I'm in!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  9. I just saw this and asked my wife if she could make these. She said to forward her the recipe where I asked if we had all the ingredients, can she make them now. It's 10:30pm :D Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete