Family Recipe Friday

Today is Family Recipe Friday in the genealogy blogger world.  This recipe is a favorite frm my grandmother, Charlotte Caroline Gifford Pavlovic:  Italian Christmas Cookies!  I believe that this recipe came from her very good friend, Milly Policella. Mind you we have a large family and this makes a large batch!!

Italian Christmas Cookies

6 sticks butter (1½ pounds)

3 cups sugar 
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

12 eggs
5 pounds flour


Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs;

stir together flour, salt and baking powder - add to mixture above; knead with hands until bowl comes clean.  In pieces about the size of a golf ball, roll the dough into ropes. Cut each rope into a 5-inch piece and tie like a knot or make a horse shoe shape and twist them over. 

Bake cookies on a ungreased cookie sheet about 8 to 10 minutes at 400º. Cookies should be set but not brown.

Frost with desired icing, if desired.  Traditionally Maama used buttercream.  Allow the icing to dry before storing. These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about a week.  If freezing, do so before frosting them.

ENJOY!