Name: Italian Holiday Cookies
Ingredients: 6 cups all-purpose flour; 2 rounded tablespoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups granulated sugar; 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or 3/4 cup shortening, at room temperature; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons almond extract; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons almond extract; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; Food coloring (optional); Sprinkles (optional)

What You'll Need

Scale

COOKIES:

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 rounded tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or 3/4 cup shortening, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole milk

ICING:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

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What You'll Do

MAKE THE COOKIES: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer), combine the granulated sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until a fluffy, pale-yellow mixture forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla. Beat on low until combined, about 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of the milk and beat on low until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix again until just combined, about 30 seconds. Continue adding dry ingredients between adding the milk until everything is combined. The batter will be very sticky.
Using a floured tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out 12 balls of dough, rolling each into a perfect ish ball, and placing them on one of the prepared sheet pans, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden on the bottom and slightly cracked on top. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter. While each batch of cookies is in the oven, scoop the next batch onto the other prepared sheet pan, making sure the sheet pans have cooled down a bit before adding more dough.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE ICING: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and vanilla. Slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk to combine into a slightly runny frosting. If you want to add color, separate the icing into small bowls and whisk one drop of food coloring into each bowl.
Place the wire rack with cookies on a sheet pan or piece of parchment paper. Dunk each cookie into the icing and set back on the wire rack. Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles (if using). Let the icing dry completely before eating, sharing, shipping, or storing. Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and add a slice of sandwich bread to the container to keep the cookies soft. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, swapping out the bread as it goes stale.