By: Antonella Bonesse

Ingredients

• 3 cups of all purpose or spelt flour
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp of baking powder
• 3 organic eggs
• 1 lemon
• 1 small glass anisette
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Colored sugar sprinkles
• 1 small glass milk

Instructions

1. Sift together flour and baking powder on a board, form a tall pile.
2. Add the eggs, sugar, oil, anisette and vanilla extract to the center of the pile.
3. Start kneading with your hands; when the dough has formed a soft mass, add the whole lemon zest.
4. Continue kneading until you get a soft, compact cookie dough that does not stick to your hands anymore.
5. Put the cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, turn on the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Take the cookie dough from the fridge and form the cookies into the shapes you like, about 1 inch
8. The typical Italian Easter cookie shapes are braided buns. I also choose to make doves. Doves are obtained by two knots of dough: first, shape a “U” (the dove’s wings), put it on the baking sheet. Then, form a cylinder to be placed on the “U” to form the body. Slightly pinch each end of the dove’s body to give shape to its head and tail.
9. Brush the biscuits with milk and decorate with colored sugar sprinkles.
10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the Italian Easter cookies surface is lightly browned.
11. Let the cookies cool completely, then serve.
12. For more of Antonella’s recipes, click here.

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