Well, Happy 2019!! It sounds so crazy to think that next year (exactly one year from today) we will be celebrating 2020…WHAT? How is that even possible? Anyway, it is happening and I have decided instead of thinking about all the things that are happening right before my eyes, flying right on by, I am going to really focus on enjoying the NOW. All the things that are happening today! Not what needed to happen yesterday or what I am nervous about in the future. That doesn’t mean I will tear up my dreams/goals and forget about planning ahead for anything (do I even do that though?) I will just live more intentionally in the moment, for today and enjoy all these little things that are right in front of me.
These thoughts that are rolling right off my fingers as I type, remind me of my Grammy Gram. She passed away at the young age of 91, and I say young for two reasons. #1: She wasn’t in bad health, she was still moving around great, doing pretty much everything for herself (cooking, cleaning, even a little gardening), so she was young, at heart and I thought physically too. #2: I think she was too young to go, and it may sound crazy, but I really thought she would live to be 100. For my whole life I would have bet money on her making it to the Smucker’s jelly jar on the Today show, celebrating her 100th birthday!!
I am still extremely grateful to have had all that time with an amazing woman, amazing cook and an amazing baker! My Grammy Gram taught me how to make these Italian Cookies, which are always a hit when I bring them places, and always a request for our family gathers:
Grammy Gram’s Italian Cookies
3 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of lemon extract
2 teaspoons of orange extract
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream eggs and sugar, then add milk, lemon and orange extracts and oil. Mix well. Add flour, do not mix into wet mixture until adding (and mixing) the baking powder and salt into the flour. Then mix altogether. Drop on to a cookie sheet, baking for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool on a cooling rack
Glaze:
2 teaspoon of lemon extract
2 teaspoon of orange extract
confectionary sugar
water
This part has some flexibility. I do not like a frosting on these cookies. I like more of a glaze. One sort of dripping down the side (until hardening), but giving a nice white frosting look. Add the extracts to a bowl and add confectionary sugar a little at a time. If too thick, add a little bit of water (like a 1/2 a teaspoon at a time until you reach the consistency that you want. A thicker glaze like me, or add more sugar to create more of a frosting.
Sprinkle some of your favorite sprinkles. I use red or pink for Valentines Day
I use green for Saint Patrick’s Day, Red and Blue for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, Green & Gold for school colors, orange for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I even use yellow for the middle of summer. The Christmas Italian Cookies are seen above with the red and green sprinkles (which I will look for and link below, they can be hard to find).
Not only are these a hit, I love them (maybe even too much)…. Is there such a thing 🤷🏼♀️.
This will be part of a series of Cookie recipes that I have tried and loved, first hand. Many of which have been passed on to me from my Mama and Grammy Gram.
Thanks for stopping by & Happy Baking!
XOXO
Leandra
*If I knew where my Grandma got this recipe from, I would give credit, however, she made it for decades and I only have her handwritten copy. She could have gotten it anywhere (not Pinterest, that is for sure, because there wasn’t such a thing, haha!) She could have also made it up herself too. If anyone knows or has seen before, please let me know and I will give credit where credit is due.
This is my recipe binder that I use & love .
