Keeping Family Recipes Alive: Mom's Recipe for Italian Lemon Egg Biscuits

My mother was a 30-year-old new mom when she made her first batch of Italian lemon egg biscuits. She wrapped a few in cellophane and gave them to my older brother to give to his kindergarten teacher. The story goes that the teacher called up my mom begging for the recipe, claiming they were the best cookies she had ever tasted.

Since that day, my mom has baked thousands of lemon egg biscuits. Infused with lemon extract and coated with a sweet, crunchy lemon icing, these cookies are light, cakey and refreshingly citrusy. They're a perennial favorite in her Christmas cookie trays; they appear at every family birthday party; and they grace the dessert table every Easter Sunday.

The kids in our family have always adored lemon egg biscuits. I grew up making them with my mom, and now she is passing on the tradition to her granddaughters. The dough is soft, springy, and easy to roll, making it ideal for children's little hands. The best part is icing and decorating the cookies. Kids love to watch the confectioners' sugar and milk transform into a smooth, creamy white, sweet icing as they stir and stir. Of course, nothing pleases them more than dipping the cookies in the icing and decorating them with loads of colored candy sprinkles.

So today's post is for my nieces, Jessica and Alexandra. Girls, please ask Daddy to print up this recipe, and put it in a safe place. There will come a day, maybe in 2070 when you'll pass it on to your granddaughters. You can tell them, "This recipe is 100 years old, and it's from your Mimi who made the world's best cookies."

Italian Lemon Egg Biscuits
Makes 72 cookies
Print recipe only here.

Cookie Dough:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons lemon extract
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup whole milk

Lemon Icing:
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon extract
A few drops of whole milk
Colored candy sprinkles (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line four large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. In a small bowl, lightly whisk eggs, lemon extract, oil and milk.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix until a dough starts to form. Using your hands, lightly squeeze and knead the dough. If it seems a bit dry, then add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency. The dough should be somewhat sticky and elastic.

5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and roll between lightly floured palms until a smooth ball forms. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.

6. Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottoms. The tops will be white but cooked through. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the icing, whisk the confectioners' sugar and the lemon extract in a small bowl. Add a few drops of milk and continue whisking until the icing is smooth and opaque and clings to the back of a spoon. Taste and add more lemon extract and/or confectioners' sugar, if desired. When it's ready, pour icing through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of confectioners' sugar.

8. For easy cleanup, place a sheet of parchment paper under a cookie rack before icing cookies. Dip the top of the cookie in the icing, then place on the rack. Decorate with colored candy sprinkles, if desired. Allow to dry completely before storing in an airtight tin or plastic container. Place waxed paper or parchment paper between layers to protect the icing and sprinkles. Properly stored, cookies should last seven to 10 days.

You might also enjoy these Italian desserts:
Italian Easter Rice Pie
Italian Pizzelle Cookies
Italian Pepper Biscuits
Italian Pignoli (Pine Nut) Cookies
Italian Easter Ricotta Pie with Pineapple
Italian Almond Torte with Blood Orange Compote

You might also enjoy these lemon cookies:
Lemon Anise Cookies recipe at La Fuji Mama
Lemon Burst Cookies recipe at Brown Eyed Baker
Lemon Lavender Cookies recipe at Elana's Pantry
Lemon Pistachio Cookies recipe at Once Upon a Plate

How to Make Italian Pepper Biscuits

Last week I shared my mom's recipe for traditional Italian almond biscotti, which she submitted to my Eat Christmas Cookies event. Now you didn't think my dad would be outdone by her, did you?

So today it's time for my dad's entry, Italian Pepper Biscuits. This recipe was my grandmother's original and has been in the family for over 80 years.

(Click on the logo for details and see all of the delicious entries here.)

Now you may be asking yourself, "what is a pepper biscuit?" It's a savory Italian biscuit made primarily of flour, olive oil, black pepper, and fennel seeds. They can be found in many Italian delis and are usually ring-shaped biscuits that have been boiled.

My family's pepper biscuits are baked instead of boiled. When you bite into one, you'll find the texture to be satisfyingly crisp and slightly crumbly. They're all-occasion biscuits too. Serve them as a part of an antipasto. Crumble them into "croutons" for a unique salad topping. Or savor them with a hot espresso or tea.

Pepper biscuits make great easy and inexpensive Christmas gifts too because they can be made ahead. Once cooled, store in air-tight container (preferably tin to maintain their crispness) and keep in a cool area; they should last up to a month.


(This festive Christmas colored "Chinese take out" box was $1 at Target!)

Even though my mom loves to make pepper biscuits, she prefers when my dad does because he twists each cookie so uniformly. If you're not into twisting, you can also roll the dough into a cigar shape and simply form a circle. They're equally delicious no matter what shape they come in.

Dad's Italian Pepper Biscuits
These savory Italian biscuits are satisfyingly crisp and slightly crumbly. They are all-occasion biscuits too. Serve them as a part of an antipasto. Crumble them into "croutons" for a unique salad topping. Or savor them with a hot espresso or tea.

Makes 30 biscuits
Print recipe only here.

1 cup olive oil, preferably extra virgin
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, hand mix olive oil, water, salt, black pepper, and fennel seed. Add baking powder and flour. Mix until well blended and a dough begins to forms. Lightly work the dough with your hands until the texture is oily and smooth. If the dough is too sticky, then mix in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour at a time, until smooth.

Using your hands, pinch off a 2-tablespoon size piece of dough. Roll the dough between lightly floured hands. Roll into a thin cigar shape that is approximately 8 inches long. Form a U shape, then criss-cross the pieces until a braid forms. Place 15 biscuits per baking sheet. Brush tops of biscuits with egg wash. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating pans mid-way through. Biscuits should have a golden color and be crisp on the bottom. Remove from oven and place on a cookie rack to cool completely.

Biscuits should be stored in an air-tight tin container (preferably tin to maintain their crispness) and kept in a cool area, such as a cupboard. Properly stored, they should last up to one month.

Here are more easy and inexpensive edible Christmas gifts you might like:

Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti
Biscotti can be made ahead and stored. Given their sturdy texture, they stand up well to packing, so they make great edible gift to mail.


Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti
I am downright giddy when I receive a gift box of of my mother-in-law's chocolate dipped almond biscotti.





Orange, Date, and Pecan Bread
Mini quick breads in decorative porcelain baking dishes make attractive and thoughtful gifts. You could also make mini Banana Coconut Almond Bread or Persimmon and Date Bread.


Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge
Everyone loves receiving fudge, especially when it's thick and creamy and studded with peanuts. Feel free to play around with other add-ins such as marshmallows, dried fruit, crushed candy canes, or whatever else you fancy.

Also I'm giving the gift of pepper biscuits to The Happy Cook over at My Kitchen Treasures who is looking for Homemade Christmas Gifts. Click here for many more delicious ideas.


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How to Make Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti

What is the all-time best dunking cookie? Italian biscotti. Whether it's a glass of sweet wine or a mug of steaming coffee, biscotti's firm, crunchy texture stands up to dunking like no other cookie I know.

Biscotti, (pronounced bis-caught-tee), have been around since Roman antiquity. The name is from the Latin biscoctus, meaning "twice-baked," since they were baked twice in the oven. Originally, biscotti was a practical food; because they were dry and sturdy, they were easily transportable for long journeys.

It wasn't until the Renaissance in Tuscany, that biscotti became considered a treat. They were served and often dunked in wine, such as vin santo. Because of biscotti's hard, crunchy texture, people eventually people began dunking them in hot drinks such as coffee as well.

Though original Tuscan biscotti were made with almonds, today's biscotti come in an endless array of flavors. Some are made with anise, others with coffee. Many are studded with nuts and dried fruit while others are dipped in chocolate. There really is a biscotti to please everyone.

If you're looking for a fool-proof basic, traditional Italian almond biscotti recipe, then you're in luck. Today I'm sharing my mom's recipe for Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti that are satisfyingly firm rather than jaw-breakingly hard and are chock-full of toasted whole almonds and laced with fragrant orange zest. They're our entry for Eat Christmas cookies, which is running through December 21st. Check out the delicious entries here.

Biscotti are really easy to make. I swear. And the more you make them, the easier they become, since you'll develop a feel for the dough and the texture. Once you get the hang of making biscotti, feel free to adapt this recipe. For example make a festive Christmas biscotti by replacing almonds with pistachios and adding dried cranberries or cherries; or dip them in chocolate like my mother-in-law does.

Now here's how to make traditional Italian biscotti:



Work the batter together with lightly floured hands. At first the mixture will be sticky and crumbly, but persevere. Keep squeezing the batter with your hands until a dough starts to form.



After a few minutes, the finished dough should be firm and smooth.



Using your hands, form the dough into logs, then brush with an egg wash, which will render the cookies shiny and golden.



Baked loaves should be cooled for approximately 20 minutes before slicing.



As seen above, biscotti are still soft when taken out of the oven. That's where the "twice baked" part comes in.



Slice the biscotti with a serrated knife by gently sawing in a back-and-forth motion to avoid breaking the cookies. Then place slices on their sides back on the baking sheets. Now either bake them in a heated oven again for 10-to 20 minutes or turn off the heat and let the biscotti stay inside the warm oven from 30--60 minutes. The longer they stay, the harder they will become. Cool biscotti completely before storing in an air-tight container, preferably a tin, which helps keep them crisp. Stored properly, biscotti will last up to a month.

Of course, if you're like me, you won't have any biscotti left after about three days.

Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti

My mom's almond biscotti are satisfyingly firm rather than jaw-breakingly hard and are chock-full of toasted whole almonds and laced with fragrant orange zest. They are ideal for dunking in a mug of hot coffee.

Makes 36 (3/4 inch-wide cookies)
Print recipe only here.

3 cups whole almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 jumbo eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 large orange (about 1 -2 teaspoons)

plus one egg, lightly beaten for brushing tops of loaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large sheets with parchment paper.

Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, hand mix toasted almonds, sugars, cinnamon, baking powder, and flour.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Add the vanilla and orange zest and whisk until well blended. Add to the flour mixture. Work the batter together with lightly floured hands. The mixture will be sticky, but persevere. Keep squeezing the batter with your hands, until a dough starts to form. Once the dough is firm, form a ball. Divide the ball into four equal pieces.

On a lightly floured surface place one piece of dough, and using your hands, roll into a log shape that is approximately 8 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 3/4 of an inch high. Repeat with remaining three pieces of dough. Place two logs per baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the loaves are shiny and deep golden. Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before slicing. Place a loaf on a cutting board, and using a large serrated knife, slice cookies 3/4 of an inch thick on the diagonal. If the cookie is crumbling, then let it cool a few more minutes. Don't let it rest too long, however, or they could become too hard to slice. Place slices on their sides back on to the baking sheets; place in the still warm oven with the temperature off and the door closed for 30-60 minutes. The longer they stay in the oven, the harder they will become. Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an air-tight container, preferably a tin, which helps keep them crisp. Stored properly, biscotti will last up to a month.


You might also like:

Italian Pignoli (Pine Nut) Cookies





How to Make Italian Pizzelle Cookies in 5 Easy Steps





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Making Italian Pizzelle Cookies with Dad

Last year when I originally posted on my Dad's pizzelle cookies, I stumbled upon this pizzelle recipe at Maryann's delicious blog, Finding La Dolce Vita.

I was smitten with Maryann's pizzelle iron which had a unique pattern. I decided instantly to surprise my dad with one (after all, he is the official pizzelle maker in our family). Thinking she bought her's in Italy, I was shocked when she told me it was a Toastmaster pizzelle iron from Walmart! Unfortunately, Walmart no longer carried it, nor did any of the dozen other places I tried. Maryann said she would keep an eye out for me and let me know if she found one.



A few weeks later, a box arrived in my mail. It was Maryann's pizzelle iron. She said she knew that "it would be in good hands" with me. I couldn't have been more touched. Here is a woman who lives over 2,500 miles away, whom I never met, and who had sent me her beloved pizzelle iron.

I promised Maryann I wouldn't be posting on the pizzelle iron until it could be christened with my Dad. So when he came to visit in September, we (well, mostly he, as I was busy snapping pictures and eating cookies), made a batch of pizzelles with it. They were better than I ever remember. Grazie, Maryann. You are a special person.



For a truly splendid treat, make pizzelle ice cream sandwiches! My favorite is rich chocolate ice cream (shown above) or pistachio gelato. It's heaven I tell you, heaven.

Please click here for the interesting history of the pizzelle, my Dad's recipe for making them and for a step-by-step guide
(with special celebrity chef, my dad)

Pizzelles are always a big hit at parties, so I'm bringing some to Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen for her blog party. And since they're baked with licorice-scented anise seed, I'm sharing them with Anita of Dessert First, who has chosen spices for this month's SHF. Since I'm thankful for my friendship with Maryann and for being able to bake with my dad, I'm sending my pizzelles to Val of More Than Burnt Toast and Ivy of Kopiaste who would like to know what we're thankful for this November.

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How to Make Italian Pizzelle Cookies in 5 Easy Steps

Pizzelles are Italian waffle-like cookies made from flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and typically flavored with anise or vanilla. The name pizzelle comes from the Italian pizze, meaning "flat" or "round."

Believed to be the oldest cookie in Italy, pizzelles have a unique history. According to legend, in 700 BCE, snakes had infested Abruzzo, in south central Italy, and after they were banished, the townspeople celebrated by eating pizzelle. To this day, pizzelles are eaten to celebrate the Festival of the Snakes, now known as the Feast Day of San Domenico.

Pizzelles were originally baked over open fire using irons that were embossed with a family or village crest. Today they are made using a pizzelle iron, which is similar to a waffle iron, but has an attractive floral pattern rather than a grid. Need a pizzelle iron? Click here for some resources or here for specific models. Don't forget to read the story about how I received my new pizzelle iron.

Pizzelles
Makes 60 pizzelles.
This recipe makes a thicker, firmer pizzelle--my family's favorite.
Print recipe only here.

6 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks), melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (or 2) teaspoons anise seed**
1 tablespoon anise extract
4 tablespoons baking powder
7 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat pizzelle iron. Coat with cooking spray and wipe off excess with a paper towel. You do not have to re-apply.

Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, anise seeds, and anise extract. Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl and add to the egg mixture. Beat for a few minutes, or until the batter becomes thick. It will have a dough-like consistency. Knead with your hands for a couple of minutes until dough is smooth and has a sheen. With your hands, roll into one-inch round balls and place in the center of the pizzelle iron grids. Close the cover of the iron and bake for about 45 seconds, or until golden brown. Remove from iron and place on a cookie rack to cool.

Dust with confectioner's before serving, if desired.

Pizzelles will last for a couple of weeks if stored in an air-tight container and kept in a cool area.

**The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon anise seed. However, I like a stronger anise flavor, so my dad put 2 teaspoons of anise seed and 1 tablespoon of anise flavoring. With all the flour in the recipe, it's not overwhelming, but put as much or little as you'd like.


Here's a step-by-step guide showing you how to make pizzelles.



1. Mixing the ingredients. Here Dad is adding anise extract to the cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and anise seed mixture.



2. After mixing the batter with an electric beater, knead the dough by hand until smooth.



3. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.



4. Place the dough balls on the center of each grid. Close the cover and bake for 45 seconds, or until golden brown. Note that every pizzelle iron is different and baking time can range from 35-70 seconds, so experiment with yours.



5. The finished pizzelles with be lightly golden brown. Remove from the grid immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack. Pizzelles will harden as they cool and will have a crisp, biscuit-like texture.



Pizzelle irons come in different beautiful designs though this simple flower pattern is most typical.

They will last for a couple of weeks if stored in an air-tight container and kept in a cool area.


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