These Italian Christmas cookies have become a favorite Christmas recipe at our house. Try them and see for yourself how delicious they are!

No need to buy a tray of Italian Christmas cookies this year—they’re easy to make and all the ingredients are readily available. The cookie itself is not overly sweet and has a cakey texture, so the sweetness really banks on the icing. We used almond extract in our recipe, but you can also use anise. In order to work with it, you’ll need to chill the dough, so don’t skip that step. Decorate these with the kids for a family-friendly holiday activity.

Italian Christmas Cookies

These Italian Christmas cookies have become a favorite Christmas recipe at our house. Try them and see for yourself how delicious they are!

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 1/2 cup flour
• 4 tsp.baking powder

Icing:

• 2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 6 tsp. water

Instructions

Cookies:

1. In a bowl sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Mix in the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture. 
4. Knead until dough is firm and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary. 
5. Refrigerate 1 hour.
6. Cut off small amount of dough and roll on floured surface into 6 inch strips. 
7. Twirl into shape and place on greased cookie sheets. 
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned but the tops should remain light).
9. Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing. 

Icing:

1. Combine the Icing ingredients in a bowl until just smooth. You want it more thick than thin, but still runny.
2. 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.
3. Top with sprinkles, while glaze is still wet.

Enjoy!!

Old Fashioned Goulash

Old Fashioned Goulash

I love those recipes that we all grew up with, they are just too good to miss out on.

Dish up a bowl of this incredibly comforting easy old fashioned goulash recipe for dinner! An easy mixture of pasta, beef, and sauce for a delightful meal everyone enjoys.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef or turkey

• 3 tsp minced garlic

• 1 large Yellow onion, diced

• 2 1/2 cups water

• 1/2 cup beef broth

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce

• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

• 1 T Italian seasoning

• 1 T Adobo Seasoning

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 T seasoned salt

• 1/2 T black pepper

• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

• 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat, until no pink remains. Break up meat while sauteing; spoon off any grease.
2. Add the onions to the pot and saute until they are tender about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and one cup beef broth, along with the tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 4-5 minutes. Pasta will cook a bit more when you remove from heat. IMPORTANT: be careful not to cook your pasta too long, mushy goulash is not good!
4. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaves. Serve warm and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

I like mine a little extra crispy on top and topped with Italian bread crumbs or croutons added