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Make your holidays a little sweeter this year with these Italian-inspired Christmas Day cookies. Enjoy seasonal twists on classic biscotti, traditional and simply beautiful pizzelles, espresso-flavored chocolate chip cookies, nutty amaretti cookies, and more. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it in this collection of our best Italian Christmas cookies.
Ricotta Cookies
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Photo by Frank
These light and fluffy cookies with subtle lemony icing are truly heavenly. They're great to serve year-round, but red and green sprinkles make them festive enough for any holiday party.
Gingerbread Biscotti
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Photo by Allrecipes Magazine
Can you just imagine dipping this warm, spicy cookie into a hot cup of coffee? Better yet, hot cocoa?! This seasonal treat will quickly become a Christmas tradition.
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
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Photo by Rob Tanner
We love how the red cranberries and green pistachios give these cookies a festive touch, but you could substitute whatever nuts you have on hand.
Red Velvet and Coconut Biscotti
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Photo by SHORECOOK
What's the secret to this vibrant biscotti? Cake mix. The genius shortcut means these cookies come together with just seven ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time.
Pizzelles
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Photo by ThatStephanie
This ancient waffle cookie is truly a showstopper, but it’s easier to make these intricate designs than you might think. All you need is a pizzelle press! This top-rated Cuisinart model comes with a traditional pizzelle recipe book.
Amaretti
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Though it looks quite different than today’s coconut cookies, traditional Italian amaretti cookies (which are deliciously nutty, thanks to the almonds) are actually an ancestor to macaroons.
Italian Fig Cookies
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Photo by Elsa Nourian
These traditional Italian fig cookies are a labor of love, but we promise, they’re worth it. They freeze really well, so this recipe is a great make-ahead option.
Anise Pizzelles
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Photo by KEVINB63
"Finally, a recipe for pizzelles that calls for anise oil! I had one long ago, but lost the recipe," user Chris Lidberg says. "Thank you so much for posting it. The anise oil gives a more intense flavor of anise to the cookie much better than anise extract, which is more commonly found! Love it."
Kathy's Italian Cookies
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Multiple reviewers say these cookies evoke childhood memories of long-forgotten family recipes. If you've been trying to duplicate your grandma's Italian iced cookie recipe, you may have just found what you're looking for.
Cantuccini
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Cantucci, a form of biscotti, is a crunchy almond cookie that is almost impossible to stop eating. For the full experience, serve it with hot coffee.
Cardamom and Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
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It’s hard to improve upon the classic chocolate chip cookie, but this espresso-flavored recipe makes a darn good attempt. For an extra coffee kick, try substituting espresso morsels for chocolate chips.
Italian Butterball Cookies
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Photo by Fernanda Imbrogno
Similar to Italian wedding cookies, these smooth, fluffy, and powdered sugar-covered treats are perfect for any celebration.
Mom's Nut Horns
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"Delicious! I made them a little smaller and rolled them in granulated sugar after I removed them from the oven," user Christina says. "These are gonna be a new cookie tradition in our family—Everyone LOVED them. Yum! Thanks for sharing."
Gingerbread Pizzelles
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Photo by Jennifer Lester Paradise
What's more festive than a gorgeous, delicate, and delicious pizzelle? A gorgeous, delicate, and delicious pizzelle that tastes like gingerbread!
Paleo Cassava Pizzelles
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If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at pizzelle-making, but you follow a gluten-free diet, this paleo recipe was made for you.
Pignoli Cookies
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Photo by linda ch
Here's a five-ingredient Italian cookie that everyone will love. This is an especially nutty recipe (it has almond paste and pine nuts). So make sure your guests don't have any allergies before serving.
Italian Almond Cookies
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"Without a doubt the BEST chewy almond cookie I've found," user Dutchmommy raves. "My daughter and I thought we had tasted the best one in Europe on a recent trip but these are even better!"
Sinful Chocolate Biscotti
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Photo by Chef V
This brownie-like biscotti recipe is too good not to try at least one. Drizzle with more chocolate and top with red and green sprinkles for an extra festive touch.
Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
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Photo by Allrecipes
Think fancy, gourmet versions of a Fig Newton! These fig-stuffed cookies are traditionally served at Christmas time. “A flavorful fig and date filling is wrapped in a soft, sweet dough, then baked and dipped in festive frosting and decorated with sprinkles,” recipe submitter Nicolemcmom says. “Need to send cookies through the mail? These are perfect for gifting! My favorite way to enjoy these cookies is for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Alternatively, freeze un-iced cookies for up to three months and ice just before serving.”
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