Recipe: Lemon Drop Cookies (Anginetti) with Confectioner's Frosting

LEMON DROP COOKIES (ANGINETTI)
Source: Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray: A Cookbook by Maria Bruscino Sanchez
Makes 50 cookies

When most people think of Italian cookies, they're usually referring to these light, frosted treats. Our family has always frosted them pure white, but feel free to add a few drops of food coloring to the frosting or sprinkle the moist frosting with colored sprinkles.

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
Confectioners' Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, milk, lemon extract, sugar, and oil until well blended.

On low speed, add flour and baking powder. Mix until just blended. The dough should be soft and sticky.

Lightly dust the dough and your fingers with a little additional flour. Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake immediately for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove cookie sheet from oven. Using a metal spatula, remove cookies from sheet onto wire racks. Cool on wire racks.

Frost with Lemon Confectioners' Frosting (see the following recipe).

If it is necessary to freeze cookies, use heavy-duty plastic freezer bags and freeze the cookies unfrosted.

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CONFECTIONER'S FROSTING
Yields enough for 50 cookies

This is a basic glaze that can be used for several different cookies. It is a very versatile icing. You can substitute anise or another extract to create different flavors.

6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup water

In an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients until smooth.

Using a metal spatula. frost the tops of the cookies, The frosting will drip down the sides and coat the cookies.

Dry the frosted cookies on wire cooling racks. Store in an airtight container.

VARIATIONS:

LEMON CONFECTIONERS' FROSTING:
Substitute 2 teaspoons lemon extract for the vanilla extract

ORANGE CONFECTIONERS' FROSTING:
Substitute 2 teaspoons orange extract for the vanilla extract and 1/2 cup orange juice for the water.