Italian Easter Cookies

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 drops red food coloring (optional)

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Ready Time: 30 mins


• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). 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 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon 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 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extracts. beat in 3 tablespoons milk, one tablespoon at a time, then stir in the food coloring if desired.