Italian Knot Cookies

Name: Italian Knot Cookies
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; ¾ tsp kosher salt (~½ tsp fine salt); 3 large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted; 3 tbsp anisette liqueur; Zest of 1 lemon; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1 tbsp milk; 6-8 tbsp anisette liquor (such as Sambuca); Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles or sprinkles of choice

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Italian Knot Cookies are also known as Anginetti, Tarallucci or Easter Cookies, as they’re called by my family. These traditional cookies are served at a number of holidays, as well as, at weddings as a symbol of “tying the knot”.

Overhead view of a plate of Italian Knot Cookies next to a bowl of sprinkles and a half eaten cookie.

Ingredient Notes

Anisette Liqueur– This is the main flavoring agent in my recipe, and is used in both the dough and the glaze. I used Sambuca, but I’m sure any of your favorite brands will do. I do not recommend a substitute for this particular ingredient.

Lemon– Often I see recipes for Italian Knot Cookies that are completely anise flavored or lemon flavored, however, I like to use a combination of both. I find that a bit of lemon zest really brightens and enhances the taste of these cookies.

Sprinkles– These are entirely optional and just give the cookies a fun, festive look. Be creative and use your favorite sprinkles!

Ingredients for cookies, including flour, sugar, butter, eggs and anisette liqueur.

Plate of Knot Cookies topped with rainbow nonpareil sprinkles on a white plate.

Recipe Steps

First, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt (1). In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until well-combine (2). Then stir in anise liquor, lemon zest and melted butter (3). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2-3 additions (4).

Collage of first steps to make cookies, including mixing the wet and dry ingredients together.

Refrigerate dough until firmed. Split into 3 equal pieces. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch log (5). Cut log into 10 equal 1-inch pieces (6). Roll each piece into a 6-inch rope (7). Carefully loop dough into a knot shape (8).

Steps to roll and shape cookies into a knot.

Bake cookies in a preheated oven in a lined baking tray until browned on bottom and cooked through (9-10). When cookies are cooled, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze (11). Lastly, dunk the top of the cookies in the glaze and add sprinkles (12).

Steps to make cookies including baking and glazing them.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

To save time, make the dough the day before you plan to bake the cookies and refrigerate it until ready to use.
To help the cookies keep their shape while baking, refrigerate the tray of formed knot cookie dough for 10-15 minutes before baking.
If you taste a cookie when it is freshly glazed, the alcohol flavor will be much stronger. As the glaze hardens, the flavor will become more mellow.

Do I need special equipment to make these cookies?

There is no special equipment needed to make this cookie recipe. A few bowls and a whisk are sufficient. If you have a standing mixer or hand-held mixer, you can use that, as well.

How do I store the cookies?

To store, keep in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Close up of a group of Italian knot cookies with white glaze and colorful sprinkles.

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Italian Knot Cookies

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5 from 1 review

Author: Sabrina Russo
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 2 ½ dozen 1x

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Description

Italian Knot Cookies, Anginetti, Tarallucci or however they’re referred to in your household, make a wonderful addition to your Easter table.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookies:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp kosher salt (~½ teaspoon fine salt)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp anisette liqueur
Zest of 1 lemon

Topping:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
6–8 tablespoon anisette liquor (such as Sambuca)
Rainbow nonpareil sprinkles or sprinkles of choice

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Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk until well-mixed.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and one egg. Add 2nd and 3rd eggs, whisking well between each addition. Slowly pour in melted butter while whisking, until well-combined. Stir in liqueur and lemon zest.
Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients in 2-3 additions, stirring to combine. Do not overmix. Cover and chill dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to work with. Alternatively, chill overnight and allow to soften slightly on the counter before shaping.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from fridge. Divide into three equal pieces.
Lightly flour your work surface. Shape ⅓ of dough into a 10-inch log. Cut into ten equal 1-inch pieces. Roll one of the pieces between the palms of your hands into a 6-inch long rope. Shape into a knot as shown above. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.
Place dough knots onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, spaced 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the tray for 10-15 minutes before baking to help cookies better maintain their shape.
Bake cookies in preheated oven, rotating pan after 8 minutes. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden on top and browned on the bottom. Cook in batches, as needed.
Allow cookies to cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, prepare the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and 6 tablespoon of liqueur. Add an additional 1-2 tablespoon of liqueur, as needed, until you reach desired glaze consistency.
Dip the top half of each cookie into the bowl of glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place back on wire rack. Top glazed cookies with sprinkles. Allow glaze to set before storing. Enjoy.