These cookies are always decorated with the theme of any party tray in colorful sprinkles, sometimes tinted doughs or tinted frosting.
This soft cookie with sprinkles is the most popular cookie on the assorted cookie tray for Italian family events, holidays and special parties.
My mom and grandma made these delicious cookies in large quantities for many family members that asked for them for anniversaries, baby showers, graduations, and any other events.
This is a very versatile cookie dough that can be changed just by adding a tint for colorful doughs, flavored cookie dough, and or theme colored frostings to be the all-around perfect cookie every time you need something special to match any party theme.
Our cookie recipe is over 100 years old and still, the best go-to recipe in my collection year after year.
You may also see cookies like Italian Fudge Rolls, Pistachio Ricotta Cookies, Anisette Biscotti, and Almond Paste Cookies on the trays!
This is my number one most asked for cookie recipe on this blog and views and reposted from 2009 to updated photos and current information.
I also left some of the photos from years gone by to see the difference.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for this easy simple recipe you will cherish as I do and let's make some memories together!
Wedding Tray Cookies
One of the traditions for an Italian wedding is to have a sweet tray and dessert table at the reception.
These soft Italian cookies are the most popular found on that try and just one of the many assortments of cookies that are on that Italian wedding cookie tray.
The cookie tray is piled high with assorted cookies often with candy-coated colorful almonds and silver tinsel.
Easy To Make
These cookies are easy to make and versatile.
They can be flavored with any kind of extracts, frosted or unfrosted and decorated to match any party theme or event by color!
The soft dough stays moist and tender for days and can be made and frozen up to 3 months in advance.
Flavor These Soft Wedding Cookie Suggestions
(Extracts to use)
- Lemon
- Anisette
- Orange
- Vanilla
- Maple
- Coconut
- Almond
Tips
- These freeze well as I said up to 3 months to make ahead of time
- The cookies are sturdy so they can just be put in freezer bags.
- Do not frost them, the frosting will be wet and not look freshly made as it dries blotchy.
Decorating the Soft Wedding Cookies
- Sprinkles
- Chopped Cherries
- Chopped Nuts
- Colorful tiny candies balls
- Solid color tiny candy balls
- Mini chocolate chips
- Tinted frosting to match the theme of the party
Decorating
The traditional way of decorating these is with nonpareils (little candy balls in different colors).
I have done them in various ways. Sometimes I grate fresh lemon peel on top of the lemon-flavored cookies.
If I make orange-flavored cookies I grate fresh orange peel on them.
Change Them Up
Once in a while, if I make them maple-flavored I sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
One of my father's favorite was making them almond flavored with sliced toasted almonds on top.
Even if you make them lemon-flavored you can add coconut on top instead of lemon peel.
I have made the same dough over and over with many variations.
You will love this dough for the variety it can make.
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Grandma's Soft Wedding Cookies
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- baking powder
- Optional flavored extracts: lemon, almond, vanilla, maple, coconut, orange or anise extract
Great For Other Events
They were perfect for the baby shower or gender reveal parties.
Anniversary parties, the theme of the years celebrated can be piped on the cookies.
As you can see the skies the limit and with your imagination and event, party, bake sale, whatever is going on, make it special.
Holiday Suggestions
They were so festive for any holiday.
- For Christmas red and green and white as shown below.
- Easter pastel frostings are perfect with coordinating colorful sprinkles.
- St. Patrick's Day green frosting with green colorful sugar
- 4th of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day red white and blue frosting
- For Weddings, we usually leave the frosting white with coordinating colors to match the bridal party dresses.
Dough Additions
- 1/2 cup additions to the dough
- Chopped nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Coconut
- Maraschino cherries chopped and blotted dry
- Raisins or other dried fruits
- Sprinkles in colors for a funfetti look inside
- Food coloring to tint dough to match the theme
Adapting Soft Wedding Cookies
Here is another example Cherry Coconut with almond flavoring in the photo below.
Add chocolate chips, vanilla, and coconut to the batter or change it up with coconut and lemon.
Chopped walnuts and cinnamon sugar on top.
Ideas
These two photos are older and just some adaptions we made to match the holiday or changed the doughs flavoring.
Try Some Other Favorite Cookie Recipes
Rum Balls
All Souls Day Cookies
Italian Rainbow
25 Holiday Favorite Cookies
Grandma's Soft Italian Wedding Cookies Pin for later
Check out my One Shop Cookie Shop
Grandma's Soft Italian Wedding Cookies
Yield: 25
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 8 Mtotal time: 18 M
These are a soft Italian cookie found at most Italian weddings on a tray of assorted cookies. These can also be bought at many Italian specialty bakery shops and ordered to match the party theme. These cookies are also called Genetti cookies.
ingredients:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons lemon, almond, vanilla or anise extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Optional flavored extracts: lemon, almond, vanilla, maple, coconut, orange or anise extract
- Optional Dough Additions: (1/2 cup) chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries blotted dry, raisins, any kinds of chopped nuts, coconut, food coloring to match the theme of the party
- Frosting:
- 2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon of extract of your choice above (optional)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water to make a medium-thick frosting
instructions:
How to cook Grandma's Soft Italian Wedding Cookies
- Mix all ingredients ( including flavorings you pick out or food coloring) in a bowl adding any additional ingredients to the dough at the end folded in.
- Note: you can do this by hand or with a mixer.
- The recipe can be doubled.
- Drop on cookies sheets by teaspoons. Bake at 350 till brown around 8 to 12 minutes. The tops will look dry and the bottoms will be brown. Cool.
- Frosting Instructions:
- Mix powdered sugar and add water a little at a time to reach desired consistency. If this is too thick to spread, add more water.
- If the frosting is too thin add more powdered sugar, beat till smooth.
- Frost each cookie and immediately add the colored sprinkles, let dry.
Calories
102
102
Fat (grams)
14
14
Sat. Fat (grams)
8
8
Carbs (grams)
22
22
Net carbs
11
11
Sugar (grams)
22
22
Grandma's Soft Italian Wedding Cookies Pin for later
Don't Forget To Try My Other Favorite Italian Chocolate Fudge Rolled Cookies
Disclosure: This recipe was originally posted to this blog on June 24th, 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2020.
My mom use to make these cookies and it was a favorite. Well done!!
ReplyDeleteMy mom too! And my grandmother! Did we grow up in the same neighborhood?!
ReplyDeleteOoooohhh love this !!! Can you fedex this to me!!!
ReplyDeleteit's so nice that you're making these cookies from your childhood, I love doing that too, reminds me of happy times with my family.
ReplyDeleteYummy ! Thank you for sharing. Cheers !
ReplyDeletelooks so good -we still make many italian cookies during christmas. my fav time of year!
ReplyDeleteThese cookies looks so soft and highly addictive!
ReplyDeleteThey look delicious! I love food that has history...
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm....we'd love these!
ReplyDeleteI like that you can flavor these anyway you want. I'd go almond!
ReplyDeleteI have been asking everybody in my family for this recipe that my grandmother use to make--nobody has it! Thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have never come across anyone else with this recipe. My grandmother always made these with anise flavoring and taught me to make them when I was ten and I've been making them ever since. They are a family fave!
ReplyDeleteHi! I want to use these cookies for a school project but i need the nutritional info. Do you have it?
ReplyDeleteWas 2 tablespoons of flavoring a mistake? I put in 1 Tbs. of anise and the smell was really strong so I didn't put in the second one. After tasting one, it was a bit too much flavoring I thought. Perhaps it should be 2 TEASPOONS of flavoring instead. These are too strong to give out on my cookie tray gifts but I'm hoping after putting on UNFLAVORED frosting these might be salvaged.
ReplyDeleteyes you were correct thanks for reaching out with that typo
Deletevery sorry about your cookies I do hope that not adding to the powdered sugar will salvage them too. I can't believe no one picked up on that since 2009 when it was posted... thanks again...
ReplyDeleteI have an old recipe similar to this however, I've trashed it and plan to bake these soon. This is an all time favorite cookie of mine. Thanks ever so much for sharing your families wonderful recipe. I look forward to future recipes.
ReplyDeletehope you love them as much as we do its a family favorite. I always have to make all vanilla or lemon here. Enjoy Patty!
DeleteI'm familiar with Italian wedding soup but not the cookies. interesting to learn about the traditions surrounding them.
ReplyDeleteLove that you can add all different flavors in these! So delicious :-)
ReplyDeleteLove the tradition behind these cookies.
ReplyDeleteItalian wedding cookies! I love the name. These look so soft and gooey. Trying them right away!
ReplyDeleteThe sprinkles give them such a happy and festive look!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to make these with my little grandgirl Maxima !
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing my friend. Pinning it.
Hugs,
Fabby