Shelly's Recipe

ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES

Category: Cookies

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract and extract
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 3/4 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder

Icing
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp milk
3 drops red food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, 1/4 cup milk and oil. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the wet mixture. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls out into ropes about 5 inches long. Tie into loose knots and place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 5 minutes on the bottom shelf and 5 minutes on the top shelf of the preheated oven, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. When cookies are cool, dip them into the icing.

To make the icing, cream together the confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extracts. Beat in 3 tbsp milk, one tbsp at a time, then stir in the food coloring if desired.