Italian Easter Cookies

Recipe View Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets. (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, cream together sugar and 0.5 cup softened butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in milk, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. (10 minutes)

Recipe View In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Roll dough into 1-inch balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5-inch rope. Shape each rope into a loose knot or desired Easter shape (bunny, egg, etc.). Place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Bake in the preheated oven until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure even browning. (12 minutes)

Recipe View Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Prepare the icing: In a large bowl, beat together confectioners' sugar, 0.5 cup softened butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth. Gradually add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Stir in food coloring. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Once the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops into the icing and immediately sprinkle with candy sprinkles. Let the icing set before serving. (10 minutes)