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Italian Easter Cookies Recipe – An Italian in my Kitchen


Crisp on the surface and delicate and crumbly inside, these Italian Easter cookies are a conventional favourite for Easter baking. They’re buttery, frivolously candy, brightened with lemon zest, and might be made plain or with a chocolate egg within the middle.

Easter cookies in a basket.

 

These Italian Easter cookies are impressed by the standard pupa con l’uova or cuddura cu l’ova that many Italian households make for Easter, usually formed into rings, braids, or baskets with an egg tucked into the middle. This model retains that old style really feel, however I like so as to add a chocolate egg within the center for a decadent contact.

What I really like most about these cookies is how totally different they’re from my softer glazed Italian Easter cookies. They’re formed a bit in a different way, with a firmer texture and a lightweight lemon taste that makes them particularly good with espresso or tea.

Why I Love This Recipe 

  • Just like my Sicilian dunking cookies, however a bit sweeter, with a twisted form like my glazed taralli.
  • A conventional Southern Italian deal with usually loved for breakfast with heat milk and low, made a bit extra festive for Easter with colourful sprinkles.

Ingredient Notes

  • Flour: All-purpose flour offers the cookies construction.
  • Lemon zest: Freshly grated lemon zest provides a lightweight recent taste that brightens this easy dough.
  • Butter: Use room temperature butter so it blends simply into the dough and helps create a young texture. I exploit salted butter, if utilizing unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the dough.
  • Eggs: One complete egg plus an additional yolk give the dough richness and helps convey it collectively.
  • Baking powder: Only a small quantity offers the cookies some raise and rise. Guarantee your ammonium carbonate is recent! 
  • Vanilla: A bit of vanilla provides additional taste and compliments the lemon zest.
  • Mini chocolate eggs: Non-obligatory, however they add a candy vacation contact within the middle.
  • Sprinkles or pearl sugar: I like so as to add sprinkles for a extra colourful Easter cookie.
  • Powdered sugar: A light-weight dusting of powdered sugar makes these cookies melt-in-your-mouth.
Ingredients for the recipe.Ingredients for the recipe.

How you can Make Italian Easter Cookies

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest to the meals processor and pulse to mix. I discover this one of many best methods to make this dough since every little thing comes collectively shortly and evenly.

The dry ingredients whisked and in the food processor.The dry ingredients whisked and in the food processor.

Add the butter and pulse till crumbly, then add the vanilla, egg, and yolk and pulse once more till the dough comes collectively.

Adding the remaining ingredients and forming a dough.Adding the remaining ingredients and forming a dough.

Transfer the dough to a frivolously floured flat floor and gently convey it collectively right into a compact ball. Don’t overwork the dough or it will likely be dense. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill.

The dough formed into a ball.The dough formed into a ball.

As soon as chilled, divide the dough into parts, roll each bit right into a rope, and form the cookies as desired.

Dividing the dough into small pieces.Dividing the dough into small pieces.

You can also make twists, rings, or basket-style cookies relying on the look you need.

Forming the dough into shapes.Forming the dough into shapes.
Forming the dough into shapes.Forming the dough into shapes.

Add a mini chocolate egg within the center if desired and press gently so it stays in place. Place the formed cookies on the ready baking sheet, brush with a bit water, and high with sprinkles or pearl sugar. Bake till golden.

The cookies on the baking sheet before and after baking.The cookies on the baking sheet before and after baking.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to chill fully.

Cookies on a wire rack.Cookies on a wire rack.

recipe suggestions

  • Bake them a bit longer if you’d like a firmer, crunchier Italian Easter cookie. That provides them extra of the feel of a conventional Italian dunking cookie.
  • For a extra conventional Sicilian Easter cookie, you may place an entire egg within the middle as a substitute of a chocolate egg. Place room temperature eggs in scorching faucet water first to stop cracking whereas baking.
  • Should you favor, you should use orange zest as a substitute of lemon for a barely totally different citrus taste.
  • Vegetable oil can be utilized as a substitute of butter, however I just like the wealthy style the butter provides.
  • I like ending some with sprinkles and a few with pearl sugar so I’ve a combination to reward to associates.
Three cookies on a blue napkin.Three cookies on a blue napkin.

These Italian Easter cookies are a real celebration of the season, with their delicate sweetness, and festive appeal making them excellent for sharing. Whether or not loved with household or gifted to family members, they convey a contact of custom and pleasure to each Easter desk. Take pleasure in!

  • 2⅓ cups all function flour 300g
  • 1 pinch salt
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ cup butter (room temperature)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 massive egg (room temperature)
  • 1 massive egg yolk (room temperature)

EXTRAS

  • 10 small chocolate Easter eggs
  • 2-3 tablespoons powdered/icing sugar
  • Within the meals processor add the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and zest, whisk collectively, then add the butter and pulse till crumbly add the vanilla, egg and yolk, pulse till mixed to type a dough.

  • Transfer the dough to a frivolously floured flat floor and gently convey collectively to type a compact ball. Should you discover the dough too moist add extra flour, too dry a little bit of milk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for half-hour.

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • Divide the dough into 2 ounces / 60g components, type ropes and form the cookies (see pictures).

  • Place the formed cookies on the ready baking sheets. Brush with water and sprinkle with sprinkles or pearl sugar and add a mini egg if desired.

  • Bake for roughly 12-Quarter-hour or till golden.

  • Let cool on the pan 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to chill fully. Mud with powdered sugar earlier than serving. Take pleasure in!

The longer you bake them the tougher they are going to be, then they’re excellent as a conventional Italian dunking cookie. 
Retailer the cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 5 days.

Energy: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fats: 10g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg | Phosphorus: 55mg

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