There’s no better way to kick off cookie season than with a platter of family favorites donned with Lemon Drop Italian Cookies!
This is a popular cookie in Italian households, and it’s one that my dad makes year after year. These lemon drop Italian cookies from scratch are soft and cakey and they impart a pleasing lemony flavor that’s sure to appeal to all of your cookie-loving friends!
I asked Pops for his Italian Christmas cookie, along with a couple of other family favorites, and he passed along his tried and true recipe inspired from Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray Cookbook.
I adapted the recipe slightly to include more lemon, and I substituted half-and-half for milk. I’d like to tell you that I made the switch with deliberate intention, but truth is, I was out of milk, but had half-and-half (go figure). I am here to say, it was a delicious save. The little bit of extra fat from the half-and-half plays nicely in this recipe. And it’s okay because calories don’t add up in holiday cookies. AmIright? 😉
These are the best Lemon Drop Italian Cookies – tender, tasty, and addicting! They possess all of the special qualities that we love about Christmas confections. Plus – they’re cute and adaptable.
Feel free to decorate your Lemon Drop Italian Cookies with:
- icing
- icing and sprinkles
- icing and sparkle sugar
- icing and multicolor nonpareils, as I’ve done today
So I have a little Christmas surprise for you.
It’s a gift that keeps on giving…
I’ve partnered with a group of talented blogger friends to bring you an array of gorgeous and delicious Christmas cookies…
A virtual cookie exchange, with cocoa to boot….
Whether you’re looking for gingerbread or shortbread, we’ve got you covered! #VirtualCookieExchange
The Beach House Kitchen · Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Beyond Mere Sustenance · Brandy-Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate
Seasons & Suppers · Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Contemplating Sweets · Hedgehog Cookies
The Busy Spatula · S’mores Cookies
Salt & Lavender · Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Meg is Well · Bradshaw Cookies: A Sour Cream Cookie with Cream Cheese Frosting
What Should I Make For – Ugly Sweater Gingerbread Cookies
The Sweet Nerd – Gingerbread Cookies – All Spruced Up
Here’s to sweet cookies, good friends and happy holidays! Hope you try my Lemon Drop Italian Cookie recipe!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Lemon Drop Italian Cookies
- Yield: 48 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
There’s no better way to kick off cookie season than with a platter of family favorites donned with Lemon Drop Italian Cookies!
Ingredients
- Lemon Drop Italian Cookies
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 4 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 – 2 drops red or green food color (optional)
- colored sprinkles
- Lemon Confectioners’ Frosting
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tsp lemon extract
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line cookie sheets with parchment.
- Place eggs, half-and-half, lemon extract, sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or hand mixer, mix on medium speed until well blended.
- Next, add flour and baking powder and mix on low speed until just blended.
- If using food coloring, add now and give a final mix.
- The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Lightly dust the dough and your hands with a small amount of flour.
- Using a heaping teaspoonful, form dough into balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until slightly browned.
- Remove from oven. Using a metal spatula, remove cookies from sheet and place on wire racks to cool.
- In the meantime, prepare frosting.
- In an electric mixer or large bowl, add the three ingredients.
- Mix until smooth.
- Using an offset spatula, frost the tops of cookies. The frosting will drip down the sides to coat the cookies.
- Add sprinkles and allow to dry on wire cooling racks.
- Store in an airtight container.
{Recipe inspired by Dad via Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray}
Forgot to pin? Here you go!
CIAO!
Wow! Lemon drop cookies are one of Chris’ favorites. I should try my hand at these. And what a great assortment of other recipes too! Hope your week is filled with joy, Annie!
Aren’t everyone’s cookies just beautiful?! Hope your week is filled with joy too, my friend!! 🙂
I’ve never made Lemon Drop Italian Cookies but every time I happen to get them on a Christmas cookie plate, they are gone in 60 seconds flat. They’re so good!
Yep! 60 seconds sounds about right! Happy holidays, my friend!
What a fun virtual cookie party, Annie… and I love what you’ve brought to the party! Lemon flips my switch… totally (in my soup for last week’s post – lol). Perhaps this is your dad’s fave due to the shape? hehe…. Thank you for sharing love! xo
Hehehe! I think you’re on to something! Anything the shape of a meatball gets a thumbs up in our family! Thanks for stopping by with a sweet word, my dear! xo
I’ll be baking a batch of these shortly Annie! LOVE lemon cookies! So cute too! Perfect for gifting, if I don’t eat them all first!
That’s awesome! Enjoy, my friend!
These look so amazing! Have you ever used freshly squeezed lemon juice? I wonder if it would work.. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe! So special that it’s your Dad that makes them! In our family we have ‘Aunt Ethel’ cookies. My Great Aunt always made
Toffee Bars with melted chocolate and pecans!!
Love family traditions!!
Hi Jan! Family traditions are theee best! Especially this time of year! You know what – I have not tried them with freshly squeezed lemon juice – but I will now! If you do, I’d love to know how they turn out! Thank you so much for dropping by with a kind word! Happy holidays!
I look forward to these cookies every Christmas season! These photos are so beautiful and festive, I am definitely in the holiday spirit now!
Awhhh! That is music to my ears! Thank you, friend!! 🙂
Love that you asked your pops! Such sweet family history built into this little round lemony meatball guy! Love it Annie. Also, the playfulness of the cookie and sprinkles is awesome.
This is a cute cookie, for sure…and you are the master of cute cookies! So thank you!!!!
Such pretty cookies! I love the flavor too…so bright and cheery!
Thanks, Gayle! Bright all the way around! 🙂
Calories don’t count at Christmas is pretty much my motto this time of year :). I want to reach through the screen and grab a few of these cookies to have for breakfast this morning! They sounds soooo freaking good–lemon is my jam!
It’s a motto so many of us share! Thanks, dear! Wish I could send you some!! 🙂
Yumm so festive! My kids would love these!
Thanks, Alisa!! 🙂
My Dad makes traditional English shortbread every Christmas, so I know how nostalgic these must be for you. Not to mention delicious little flavour bombs that I would like a dozen of right now 😉
It’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it? Yep – these are too easy to lose track of! Thanks, friend!
You are right! Calories definitely don’t count during the holidays…or on weekends or other special occasion, lol. Love love love lemon so will be eating my fair share of these beauties! Have a great week, my friend! XOXO
I had a feeling I’d get your support on that! 😉 Nothing like a classic for the holidays! Thank you, my friend! XOXO
No Christmas Eve would be complete without a plate of Italian cookies. These look just like home to me and have totally put me in the holiday mood!
That’s the truth! I love that these feel like home to you, dear! Happy holidays!
Yum!! Do they ever look good. I love your shot of the cookies. I can almost taste them as well as smell the evergreen pieces. That’s great that your dad loves to bake. Have a great week.
Thank you, Marisa! My dad does love to bake! He’s quite the wizard!! And we’re the luckier for it! 🙂
These are darling. Perfectly pop-able!
Thanks, friend! A little too easy to pop! 😉
🙂