Italian Christmas Cookie~ Andrea

Italian Christmas Cookie

Ingredients
3 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons anise extract
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
For the Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 – 3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon anise extract


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, extract and baking powder.
3. Add the vegetable oil and milk, then the flour, one cup at a time, until well combined.
4. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, and roll smooth between your palms.  Flour your hands if the dough is too sticky.  Arrange the balls of dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms of the cookies are a light golden brown.  The tops will still be pale.
6. Remove from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7. Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl until just smooth.  You want it more thick than thin, but still runny.
8. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, then return to the wire rack, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides of the cookie.
9. Top with sprinkles.

Cookies are best eaten right away.  Once covered the trapped moisture will soften the glaze and the colors from the sprinkles will bleed.  Still tasty, but not so pretty.
Makes around 30 cookies.