Italian Cookies

These no-egg Italian almond cookies are basically a snowball cookie with an Italian accent. Butter, flour, slivered almonds, almond extract, and a little powdered sugar get creamed together, rolled into balls, baked, and then rolled in more confectioners’ sugar while still warm.

The texture is sandy and short, like a Mexican wedding cookie or Russian tea cake. No eggs means no chewiness. Instead you get a crumb that practically dissolves on your tongue, with bits of slivered almond adding gentle crunch throughout.

Creaming the butter and sugar thoroughly is what gives these their tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Don’t rush that step. You want the mixture pale and fluffy before the flour goes in.

Chef Tips

• Roll the cookies while warm (not hot) in the powdered sugar. They absorb it better and get a thicker coating. Do a second roll once cooled for that classic snowy look.
• Keep the dough balls uniform in size so they bake evenly. A tablespoon-sized scoop works well.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them when the bottoms are barely golden. They’ll firm up as they cool and overbaking makes them dry rather than tender.

Variations

• Replace almond extract with vanilla and add lemon zest for a citrus version.
• Press a whole almond into the top of each ball before baking for a classic Italian presentation.
• Dip cooled cookies halfway in melted dark chocolate for an elegant holiday treat.