Uncinetti: The Italian Cookies You Should Always Serve On Easter

When you think of world-famous Italian cuisine, the first dishes to come to mind are usually pizza, pasta, and perhaps tiramisu, and with good reason. However, there is so much more to explore. It will come as a surprise to nobody that the Italians take their food very seriously, with signature dishes and recipes quite literally baked into their culture. Pastries and baked goods are often linked to specific regions or towns in Italy and are enjoyed on special occasions or at specific times of the year.

Uncinetti, or Italian Easter cookies, are a traditional treat that is particularly popular in the Southern regions of the country during Easter time. The name uncinetti literally translates as "crochet," describing the shape of the cookies, which resemble a crochet knot. This recipe for uncinetti, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, shows how simple it is to rustle up these pretty and delectable Italian cookies. The cookie itself is wonderfully light and not too sweet, with the colorful pastel glaze adding a sugary and lemony finish along with a festive topping of sprinkles. This uncinetti recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your Easter celebrations and also makes a great Easter time gift for friends and loved ones.

To begin this uncinetti (Italian Easter cookies) recipe, first, you will need to gather the ingredients. For the cookies, you will want all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, salted butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. For the glaze, you will additionally need milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, a few drops of gel food coloring, and sprinkles.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Whisk the flour with the baking powder.

In a stand mixer mix the granulated sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Mix in the flour to form a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface.

Take roughly 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time and roll it out to form a 5-inch sausage shape.

Carefully roll the dough up to make "knot" shapes.

Place the dough knots onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes in the oven.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Allow the uncinetti to cool completely before glazing.

To mix the glaze, stir milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into sifted confectioner's sugar until smooth.

To color the glaze divide it up into small bowls and mix with a drop or two of your chosen gel food coloring.

Dip the tops of the uncinetti into the glaze one at a time.

Immediately sprinkle the glazed tops with your chosen sprinkles.

Allow the uncinetti to dry before serving.

These wonderfully soft and cloud-like cookies make an excellent option for an Easter time treat, and can be a fun activity to make with children to give as gifts during this festive period. If you are looking for some different ways to adapt this uncinetti recipe, you can add your own twist to create something unique to you and your individual preferences.

While this recipe uses a mixture of vanilla and almond extract to flavor its dough, it is common to use lemon zest as well, which would add a citrusy finish to the cookies. Alternatively, you can experiment with other kinds of zest, such as orange zest, for a sweet, orange-flavored cookie. Adding different flavorings to the glaze is another simple way to switch up this cookie recipe. Adding more lemon will give you more of a citrus kick, and different extracts such as orange blossom or even rose water will add more complex notes to the finished uncinetti. While it is traditional to add sprinkles to the tops of these cookies, you can opt for chopped nuts such as pistachios, almonds, or pecans to give the cookies a distinct nutty finish. Alternatively, adding chopped dried fruits, dehydrated berries, or even a few edible petals, lavender sprigs, or herbs as a topping will add more complexity and elegance to these traditional Italian cookies.

Uncinetti are a great Italian cookie to try, and although they are primarily considered an Easter cookie, they can be enjoyed all year round. However, these soft and sweet baked goods are not the only great Italian cookie out there, there are plenty of delicious other options you should get to know.

You may well have heard of biscotti. These double-baked cookie favorites are simple and versatile, flavored with a wide variety of different nuts, fruits, chocolate, and extracts, and make the perfect crunchy accompaniment to dunk in a cup of coffee. If you love almonds, amaretti are the cookies for you. These Italian cookies are packed full of almond flavoring, either through amaretto or a non-alcoholic almond extract, as well as being made solely with almond flour, making them delightfully nutty, and also perfect for those who follow a gluten-free diet.

Florentines are another wonderful Italian cookie that you may be aware of. These distinctive cookies are very flat with a lacy appearance and a crisp texture and often feature a variety of toppings such as drizzled chocolate, chopped nuts, and candied fruits. Finally, ricciarelli are another almond-flavored cookie originating from the Tuscan region of Italy. Once only reserved for the most wealthy and elite of Italian society, these cookies have a liberal coating of confectioner's sugar and a distinctive cracked top.