You'll love these lemon Anginetti Cookies! Make these glazed, Italian knot cookies for weddings, Christmas, Easter or any celebration!
I've only been married once, but I've tied the knot hundreds of times. The Anginetti lemon knots, of course!
There's a reason they're called Italian wedding cookies. The knot symbolizes the union of two people.
But these Anginetti Cookies also go by names such as love knot cookies, tarallucci cookies and "tarallucci al limone." And, I have to laugh when people search for "Janette" cookies on my site!
Whatever you call them, they're delicious! They're a variation of my mom's wildly popular Italian Cookies recipe, with a different glaze, shape and bold lemon flavor. Plus, they hail from the Campania region, which includes Naples, where my mom grew up.
Recipe ingredients
Butter: I always use salted butter, so if you use unsalted, you'll need to add a little extra salt to the dough.
Half & Half: This is the secret ingredient that keeps these cookies soft! You can substitute whole milk if needed.
Lemon Zest: This brings bright, fresh, lemon flavor to the Anginetti cookie dough and glaze. Plus, the specks of zest look beautiful on the iced cookies! I use this zester (affiliate link).
Lemon Extract: This provides a pop of lemon flavor in each bite! Merely using lemon juice and zest is too subtle.
Note that the extract goes in the dough, not the glaze. When we tried using lemon extract in the glaze, it was too strong.
Lemon Juice: Instead of milk, fresh lemon juice provides the liquid for the delicious, refreshing, lemon glaze. Squeeze lemons you already zested!
How to make anginetti cookies
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Make the dough
- Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer. Beat in the eggs and lemon extract.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add some of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat, then add the half and half and combine. Gradually mix in the rest of the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap and freeze it for 30 minutes.
Shape the dough
I like to use a pastry mat with measurements (affiliate link) to roll out the dough.
- Separate the chilled dough into four parts and work with one section at a time, freezing the rest in the meantime.
- Break off a piece of dough, roll it between your palms into a log, then roll it on a surface into a 6-inch rope about the width of a finger. (Use your fingertips to roll and lengthen it.)
- Tie the rope into a knot by crossing the ends to form a loop and then tucking one end under and up through the loop.
- Bake the lemon knots until golden on the bottom. Let them cool completely before glazing.
Make the lemon glaze
- Whisk any lumps out of the powdered sugar, then whisk in the lemon zest and salt.
- Gradually add lemon juice and whisk after each addition, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
Glaze the cookies
- Dip the top of each cookie into a bowl of glaze. Let the excess drip off into the bowl or use your finger to spread the glaze around the cookie top.
- Set the lemon knot cookies on a wire rack until the glaze dries and hardens.
Recipe tips
- Freeze the dough so it's easier to roll and shape into knots. This is critical!
- Flour your hands so the dough won't stick to your fingers.
- Work quickly while rolling and tying the knots, because the dough will soften as you go. If the dough becomes too soft to roll, pop it back in the freezer for a bit.
- If you want to add nonpareils, sprinkle them on immediately after dipping the cookies in glaze.
Frequently asked questions
Although the knot shape is traditional, feel free to make these into Italian lemon drop cookies or lemon twist cookies!
For drop cookies, scoop two teaspoons of dough at a time and roll it between your floured hands to make 1 ½-inch balls.
For twist cookies, roll out 6-inch ropes of dough about the width of a finger. Fold each rope in half and twist two or three times.
Since the glaze contains fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, it's best to store the cookies at room temperature no longer than three days. Place them on a tray, loosely covered with plastic wrap. They'll become very moist if you place them in a plastic container.
See the freezing instructions below.
Yes, you can freeze Anginetti cookies for up to three months. If you're not adding colored nonpareils on top, you can freeze the cookies after glazing them.
Allow them to fully dry first and place wax paper or parchment paper between each layer if you're stacking them in a sealed container. Or, simply freeze one layer in a plastic, zip-top bag.
If you're planning to use colored nonpareils, freeze the cookies unglazed. Then thaw them, glaze them and immediately add the sprinkles.
More recipes like this
- Lemon Pizzelle Recipe
- Pizzicati Cookies
- Italian Panettone Recipe
- Almond Biscotti Cookies
- Pignoli Cookies Recipe
- Soft Amaretti Cookies
Enjoy!
If you try this Anginetti Cookies recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Anginetti (Lemon Knot Cookies)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 14 Tablespoons salted butter (7 ounces, softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (I use extra-large)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (measure by fluffing the flour, scooping a cup and leveling it off)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup half and half (or whole milk)
- extra flour to dust your hands while rolling
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (Can use a bit less. Whisk in one tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you want.)
Instructions
- Set out the butter to soften at room temperature an hour ahead of time.
- Zest two lemons, setting aside two teaspoons of zest for the dough and two teaspoons of zest for the glaze.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, blend the softened butter with the granulated sugar until creamy, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and lemon extract. Mix to combine.
- In a separate medium bowl, use a fork to toss together the flour, baking powder, two teaspoons of lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add some of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well. Add the half and half and mix. Gradually add the rest of the flour mixture in, beating well after each addition. You will end up with a sticky dough.
- Gather the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two (four, if you have them) sheet pans with parchment paper (or lightly grease the pans with cooking spray).
- Cut the frozen dough into four even sections. Leave one section out to work with and freeze the rest, wrapped.
- Place a few tablespoons of flour in a small bowl (for dusting your hands). Cut off a strip of dough a few inches long. With floured hands, rub the dough between your palms until it forms a log. Place the log on a clean surface and use your fingertips to roll it into a 6-inch rope as thick as a finger. (Pluck off any excess dough as needed.) Grasp each end of the rope of dough and cross one over the other, forming a loop. (See photos in the post.) Then make a knot by tucking one end underneath and up through the loop. Place it on the parchment-lined pan. Continue rolling and shaping until you have 12 knots, placed two inches apart on the pan. (See notes.)
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 11-14 minutes, until the tops are set, and the bottoms are lightly browned. (Mine take 12 minutes.) Let the cookies rest for a couple of minutes before placing them on a cooling rack. While the cookies are baking, continue rolling and shaping the next dozen. You can start baking those on a lower rack while the first pan is still baking. Continue rolling and baking until all of the dough is used.
- To make the glaze, add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar to a small mixing bowl. Whisk it to get out any lumps. Add two teaspoons of lemon zest and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and whisk to combine. Cut two of the zested lemons in half. Squeeze the lemons until you have 3 tablespoons of juice. Whisk one tablespoon of lemon juice into the sugar mixture, then another tablespoon. If the glaze is still too thick, add a little more of the juice at a time, whisking until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. (Use less juice for a thicker, sweeter glaze or use the full 3 tablespoons for a thinner, balanced glaze.)
- When the cookies are completely cooled, you can glaze them. One at a time, dip the cookie in the glaze, top down, and give it a twist. If needed, you can use your finger to spread the glaze around the surface of the cookie.
- Place the glazed cookies on a cooling rack and set it over a parchment-lined or wax-paper-lined pan to catch the drips. It will take about 2 hours for the glaze to fully dry, so wait to store or package the cookies.
- Once the glaze has dried, store the Italian knot cookies covered at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze them for up to three months. (See notes.) Note that if you store them in a plastic container at room temperature, the cookies will become very moist. I like to keep mine on a tray loosely covered with plastic wrap.
- Any leftover glaze can be refrigerated for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature and whisk it before using it.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
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