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Zuccherini are little Italian cookies shaped like wedding rings that are customarily given to guests at weddings in Italy. They are traditionally given from the bride and groom as gifts for good wishes to everyone, and are displayed in beautiful white baskets lined with white fabric and decorated with fresh flowers. However, these cookies are now prepared year-round because of their popularity!
I bought a bag of these little sweet, lemon-yellow cookies while up in the mountains of Northern Italy (above) and also found them in many of the shops in Amalfi (below). They were so delicately flavored with lemon, and not overly sweet. I just fell in love with them, having enjoyed them from the cucina of my Nonna Stella. One would have to find an Italian bakery to find these cookies! My mother really loved these cookies so much that she included the recipe for zuccherini in our the family cookbook’ (shown below).
So along with other recipes that are almost identical from scouring the Web and all of my Italian cookbooks, I’m sharing this delicious recipe for all of us to prepare in our own homes. Other than my family’s cookbook, the ‘book’ as we often call it, I could only find two other Italian cookbooks where I found the recipe.
I also found the recipe in “Italian Holiday Cooking” by Michelle Scicolone and “Bologna Mia” by Loretta Paganini so that we can bake these cookies for Christmas and throughout the year!
I found out that Zuccherini are some of the oldest of all Italian biscotti. The beauty and deliciousness of these cookies is in their minimalism and simplicity. . . using only the most basic ingredients of sugar, flour, eggs. olive oil, anise seeds and a little bit of added flavor – - and for this recipe, it is lemon!
These cookies are SO EASY to make too! You just form a ‘well’ of your dry ingredients, then add the eggs, olive oil and flavorings in the middle of the ‘well’ just as you would do to make pasta the ‘old’ traditional way. With your hands, slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the eggs/olive oil mixture to make the dough. Pull off little pieces about the size of an egg and roll them out into ropes, form them into ‘rings’ and pinch the two ends together where they meet. Bake, glaze, and that’s it!
Now this is super easy deliciousness!
Lemon Zuccherini
3 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt (sea salt is best)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon anise seeds
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Glaze/Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 – 3 Tbsp. lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want your glaze)
Double this if you like more glaze (like I do)!
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt onto a large cutting board.
Shape it into the form of a large well.
Into the middle of the ‘well’, add the eggs, olive oil, anise seeds, and lemon zest.
Incorporate all ingredients together to form a dough; do not overwork.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut dough into egg-size balls and roll out each one into a long rope of medium thickness.
Optional: For a more layered cookie, flatten the rope and fold it in half along the entire length of the rope.
Shape each rope into a ring.
Pinch the ends together.
Place cookies onto a well greased and floured, or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
Prepare glaze by mixing together sugar and lemon juice.
Brush each cookie with the lemon glaze while the cookies are still warm.
OR
as my Nonna used to do:
Place the glaze ingredients in a plastic bag, insert the cookies, and SHAKE to cover the cookies with the lemon glaze!
It’s OK if these cookies harden; they become perfect for dunking into coffee or wine as Italians love to do.
I love cookies that aren’t too sweet! That’s how I justify eating them anytime of the day.
Oh these are for me. I know I’ll be making some of these. Wish I had a few right now.
I hope that you enjoy them if you make them, Linda. They are truly Italian!
These look delicious Roz! I can’t wait to try making them. I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday
I love lemon drops, but have never heard of these. I’ll definitely be making them for Christmas
This looks like the perfect tea time snack! So glad you were able to recreate them!!! xo
Thanks Liz!
these look lovely great color too have a good weekend
And you too, Rebbeca!
these are my mom’s favorite! i love that i can make the for her…since you did all the research to find the recipe
They sound perfect for the holidays Roz. Their lemon flavour would be a favourite of mine!
I think that after your visit to Amalfi, that anything lemon and Italian would be enticing to you, Val!
What pretty little cookies! I love lemon, but I don’t have a lot of lemon cookie recipes. You must have been thrilled to track down this recipe!
thank you for this seriously precious recipe! it is in my to do list now. could you believe I have never tasted these beautiful looking cookies in my whole life? you can give lessons to Italians on Italian cuisine! how special is that? cheers
these look fabulous my mom loves anything lemon and she would really enjoy these I will have to try for the holidays Thank you !!
http://www.nycstylelittlecannoli.com
Oh, come by my food party today and share these cookies. I am telling about “The Feast of the Seven Fish” and would love to another Italian traditional recipe. I love these cookies my grandmother used to make them for people’s weddings along with many other cookies. Wonderful.
Thank you for your kind invitation Diane! I am so happy to have joined in the get-together of great foodie bloggers!
That’s unbeliveble! These zuccherini came from my city Vernio, close to florence, Tuscany!
I love them!
These lemon cookies look fantastic!
Thanks Angie, I have to say that they truly are fantastic as you said!
Thank you for sharing the how-tos of Lemon Zuccherini, Roz.
I’m inspired by your description and might serve them in a basket with fresh flowers =)
That would be truly awesome on top of serving delicious cookies!
Roz – I love recreating italian cookies at home and these look delicious. I’m a fan of your site and hope you get a chance to visit my blog that has family sweet and savory recipes – some that are a little different than most. http://bakewelljunction.wordpress.com
My moms mom made boiled cookies as we called them! I love them, its so cool to actually watch that sugar boil and cling to the cookies and the outside crunch up. These are my brothers favorite, havent made them in years looks like they may have to hit the cookies list this year… your color is magnificiant!
The only difference was she made the glaze in a pot and boiled it till sugary then you stir the cookies in it. I hit the comment without telling you that.. Your glaze looks the same but easier for sure..
These cookies look so delicious, Roz. As you know, I treasure old family recipes and can feel my grandmother’s and my mom’s presence when I make some of their favorites. What fun to have found these in Italy.
Those cookies look divine! I’m your newest follower from the Foodie Friday hop
I’d love it if you’d share this yummy recipe on my Sweet Saturday link-up: http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/2012/11/sweet-saturday-chocolate-chip-banana.html. Have a great day!
Beautiful banner pics too, btw!
Hallo Roz, I’m sorry but I don’t have the translate button and I don’t know how I can put it in my blog. If you have pleasure, I can help you in understanding my recipies, ask me, if you want. Kisses
Carla Emilia
Sono deliziosi questi biscottini al limone. Un abbraccio, buona giornata Daniela.
These biscuits sounds delicious…and I’ve never tried them!!! Zuccherini perfect with a sweet wine after dinner.
these are screaming my name and I need about a dozen right now! Wow, they are just amazing
I LOVE these cookies! So happy to find a recipe for them!
these cookies look and sounds amazing Roz I love lemon!!
Hi Roz,
Your wonderful cookies are being featured today on foodie friday. Stop by and get your featured button. I will be tweeting and pinning them this week. Thanks again for sharing them with us.