Anginetti (Lemon Knot Cookies)

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These Anginetti Cookies have a soft, cake-like texture and delicious lemon flavor!

Prep Time18

Cook Time30

Freeze Dough30

Total Time1 18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: (Makes 40 cookies)

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Mamma C

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

Work quickly while rolling and knotting the dough, because it will soften as you go.

If you need to reuse a baking pan that's been in the oven, make sure it's cool first, so the next cookies don't spread. It helps to rinse the pan in cold water and line it with fresh parchment paper.

You can freeze the cookies with glaze on them, because there are no colored sprinkles on them that would bleed. The cookies can be eaten straight out of the freezer if you don't mind them chilled and firm, or you can let them come to room temperature first.

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