Lemon drop cookies are light, fluffy Italian cookies that are soft and cake-like. They’re topped with a sweet lemon glaze, combining the best of a lemon tart and cake into one delicious bite.
Anginetti cookies are incredibly delicious. This easy Italian cookie recipe is from my friend, Deanna, and it’s the most delightful lemon cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. Like all things Italian, it’s simple but flavourful. Each cookie is topped with a refreshingly citrusy lemon frosting – perfect in every bite!
My brother, while stationed in New York with the United States Marine Corps, met Deanna Andriotti. She was born and raised on Long Island and has strong Italian roots. I met Deanna’s huge Italian family all at once in 2011.
It was like a scene from the movie My Big, Fat Greek Wedding: delicious food, loud conversations, and everyone in each other’s business. I loved it. Deanna and her cousins were close, as she is with her mom too, and I enjoyed seeing that familial bond.
Deanna gave me this Anginetti cookie recipe when I asked for her favorite Italian cookie recipe, and I have loved making these delightful Italian Lemon Drop Cookies ever since. They are perfect for little tea parties, baby showers, brunch occasions, and holiday gifts.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Vegetable shortening
- Large eggs
- Lemon extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Water
The extract gives these cookies their zesty, tart lemon flavor without getting overpowered by the other ingredients like regular lemon juice would.
How do you make Anginetti?
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. The dough should be soft and sticky.
With a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking stone, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until firm and lightly brown on the bottom.
Remove cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool completely on wire racks.
Combine confectioners’ sugar, water, and lemon extract and mix until smooth to make the icing.
Dip the tops of each cooking in the icing. Allow cookies to dry before stacking.
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My favorite kitchen tools for this recipe
MEASURING CUPS: Nothing beats a good set of measuring cups that last a long time. I love metal measuring cups because of their durability.
MEASURING SPOONS: I have to have a metal set of measuring spoons on hand. The plastic ones just don’t last long in our house, thanks largely to the garbage disposal.
KITCHENAID MIXER: I love my Kitchen-Aid mixer and use it almost daily. For cookies, bread, sauces, frostings, and dough – I find many recipes that I can use my Kitchenaid to reduce prep time. I have two that I couldn’t live without.
HAND MIXER: I love these for small batches or quick and easy recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients. I love that you can have so many color options now; my personal favorite teal.
MIXING BOWLS: I love having a variety of sizes of mixing bowls. From small to large, I find that having at least 3 bowls of different sizes has been essential in my kitchen. I prefer Pyrex because of its durability.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
I love to make these Anginetti cookies for events and holidays, and I love that you can make them ahead.
They freeze beautifully, so I often bake them ahead. If you want to try this, I recommend freezing the plain cookies. They will freeze well up to a month. Once you’ve thawed them, add the icing. They will taste like they were made the same day.
Iced cookies will keep well for several days at room temperature. Just keep them in an airtight container, so they don’t dry out.
These Italian lemon cookies are so light and tender – impossible to resist! Every time I make a batch, I can’t help but think of my wonderful friend, Deanna.
Not only do these sweet lemon tarts taste amazing, but they also look great when garnished with lemon zest. They would be perfect for any brunch or shower occasion. My girls love to serve them for special tea parties they host for themselves and a few of their closest stuffed animal friends.
No matter the event, they are lovely and perfect any time of year. Enjoy!
More Easy Lemon Dessert Recipes
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Lemon Drop Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream together sugar and shortening.
- Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt; Mix well.
- The dough should be soft and sticky.
- With a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking stone, spacing them about 2-inches apart.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown on the bottom.
- Remove cookies from cookie sheet and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
Icing
- Combine confectioners' sugar, water, and lemon extract and mix until smooth to make the icing.
- Frost the tops of each cookie with a metal spatula.
- Allow cookies to dry before stacking.
- Store in an airtight container.
- NOTE -If you want to freeze the cookies, freeze unfrosted and frost once thawed.
I feel so special to be featured on your blog! I hope everyone enjoys making them as much as I love eating them. Love you!
Please, please before your brother sees it and gives you a huge nookie or something: it’s Marine Corps, not “core.”
Cheryl – thank you! I didn’t even catch that….THANKS! San
I love lemon cookies! They are so fresh and I can eat a ton of them and not be overloaded with sweetness. Thanks!!
YUM, these cookies look amazing!! I LOVE lemon and I will be making these cookies for sure! Thanks for sharing & pinned for later! 🙂
These look awesome! I’m definitely going to pin them for later!
Another great post from you. I may have to try making these!
Major fan of lemon desserts, thanks for sharing!
“Like all things Italian, simple & scrumptious!” I love that line – because it’s so true! These little lovely cookies are amazing!
I love lemon so these were a real winner! They’re small so I don’t feel guilty eating a few at time! Goes great with a cup of tea!
I know for sure this Anginetti would be a huge hit in my house!
These lemon drop cookies are absolutely delicious and so addicting! Such a hit here and so addicting! Excited to make these lovely cookies again!
I love the lemon flavor! I am sure I will love these cookies!
These cookies are now our favorite! I make them so often for my family!
These are the most perfect lemon cookies! We’ll be making them for the holidays for sure.
This recipe is a huge hit. They were so easy to make and everyone loved them!
Makes me so happy to hear that, glad you all enjoyed them.
YUMMY! These lemon drop cookies sound SO GOOD!! I am so excited to try them!
Oh my, these cookies are fabulous!! A must make for the holidays!
Huge fan of lemon desserts, so this was right up my lane!
Looks incredibly delicious! Can’t wait to make a basket of this!
This is heaven sent, for real!!
The pictures of the cookies and the bowl of glaze both appear to have lemon zest in the glaze, but I didn’t see zest anywhere in the recipe
You can add lemon zest, the original receipt doesn’t, but I add it occasionally. Either way, they are tasty!