Allison Robicelli's Italian Cookie Guide,  Anginetti, as seen on Food Network.
Recipe courtesy of Allison Robicelli

Anginetti

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
  • Active: 35 min
  • Yield: 3 dozen cookies
These glazed lemon knots hail from Southern Italy, but are beloved all over the world. Light and pillowy, they exist on the fine line between cake and cookie.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. With a mixer, combine the granulated sugar, butter, olive oil and lemon zest . Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat for 1 minute.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix into the lemon mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  4. Divide the dough into thirds. Cut each third in half, then repeat. (You should have 12 small pieces of dough.) 
  5. On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll each piece out into a 1/2-inch-thick log, then cut each into 3 pieces. Coil each piece into a small bun shape, bringing the end up over the top and pinching to seal. (Don't worry if they look funny; the glaze will cover any screw-ups.) Repeat with all the pieces, then arrange on the prepared cookie sheets at least 3 inches apart.
  6. Bake in batches, rotating the pans halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
  7. Place the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and break up any large clumps with a whisk. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and whisk until a smooth glaze forms (if the glaze is too thick, add a bit more lemon juice; if it is too thin, add a bit more sugar).
  8. Dip the tops of each cookie into the glaze and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place on a wire rack to dry, then store in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for 5 days at room temperature, or 3 weeks frozen.