Iced Italian Cookies

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (1/2 of a 1-pound box)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon anise extract or 1 tablespoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• colored crystal sugar, to decorate

Recipe

• 1 cream butter and sugar until soft and creamy.
• 2 add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
• 3 combine flour and baking powder, then blend into the butter mixture.
• 4 break off small, walnut sized pieces of dough and shape into bows, braids, knots,"s" shapes, or any shape you desire.
• 5 bake in a preheated oven at 375 f until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.
• 6 cool on wire racks,then ice as desired.
• 7 icing: blend sugar and your choice of flavoring, adding milk slowly to form a soft, smooth icing (some ice the cookies while they are still warm, others wait until they are cooled).
• 8 sprinkle with colored sugar or confettini (tiny multi-colored sprinkles) before icing sets.