Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

Ingredients:

LEMON COOKIE DOUGH:

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• generous pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil vegetable or sunflower oil is also fine
• 1/4 cup cream I used 15% cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

LEMON GLAZE:

• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice

Procedures:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• With a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together for about 1 minute.
• Add the oil, cream, vanilla extract, the lemon zest, lemon juice and mix until combined.
• Mix in the flour mixture beating for 1 minute til the dough is thoroughly combined.
• The dough will be soft and tacky but still easy to work with.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface.
• Cut off pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll out into a log about a 1/2 inch wide and 7 inches long.
• I start rolling the dough between the palm of my hands while keeping my hands lightly dusted with flour. And then finished rolling the dough out to 7 inches on a work surface.
• Twist the dough to form a loop inserting one end through the loop while forming a knot.
• Place on the prepared cookie sheet;
• Repeat with remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
• I was able to fit 12 onto each pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. When done the cookies should be pale in colour with lightly browned edges.
• Let cool on wire rack.

LEMON GLAZE:

• In a medium size bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice.
• Transfer the lemon glaze to a smaller bowl for easy dipping.
• Dip cookies one at at time in lemon glaze, letting excess glaze drip off.
• Place cookies on cookie rack till glaze is completely set.

Notes:

The original recipe was published on June 19, 2016.I've revised the recipe and republished on June 10, 2020 with a few switch ups to ensure success in your own kitchens.The flour amount was increased to 3 1/2 cupsI've decreased the oil to 1/2 cup.I added 1/4 cup of cream.And I've also added a tad more lemon zest.You should have a soft and slightly tacky dough to work with and perfectly manageable to shape and knot.Keep stored in an airtight container.Cookies freeze extremely well.