Wow your guests with this cheeky cookie

Like numerous of us, Rossella Rago has taken cooking lessons from her grandmother. Her grandmother is these a wealth of culinary expertise that Rago hosts a show with her known as “Cooking With Nonna” on Instagram and YouTube. 

And previously this calendar year, Rago launched her a cookbook showcasing 130 recipes for Italian consolation food that stemmed from her time residing with her grandmother. 

A person recipe that impressed and delighted us from “Cooking with Nonna: Sunday Dinners with La Famiglia” is “Italian Meatball Cookies,” which Rago claims are “a chocolatey spiced cookie that remember the Italian American cookie trays of yesteryear.”

Her model is meant to glimpse even far more meatball-ish with a crimson glaze and white nonpareils. 

Here is grandma’s treasured recipe:This Christmas cookie has been a spouse and children favourite for 60 decades

For the image-ideal sugar cookie:Test this royal icing recipe

Italian Meatball Cookies

Tends to make: About two dozen cookies

Substances for the cookies:

• 3 cups 00 or all-intent flour
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
• 1 teaspoon floor allspice, optional
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon floor nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 2 packets Vanillina powder or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 huge eggs, area temperature
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Components for the glaze:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup additionally 1 tablespoon full milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 to 8 drips purple foodstuff coloring or gel foodstuff coloring (you can add extra or significantly less to accomplish a quite red coloration)
• White nonpareils or white chocolate shavings to decorate

Recommendations to make the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 levels. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a massive mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, spices, and espresso powder.
2. In another substantial mixing bowl, blend the shortening, Vanillina or vanilla extract, and sugar. Utilizing an electrical mixer with a paddle attachment, beat on substantial pace until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Defeat in the eggs till totally integrated. Defeat in the dry elements until eventually just absorbed. Employing a spoon or your arms, mix in the nuts and chocolate chips. 
3. Operating with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and prepare them on the organized baking sheets about 2 inches aside. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are business. Awesome on a wire rack before glazing.

Recommendations to make the glaze:

1. In a huge mixing bowl, whisk collectively the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and meals coloring until sleek.
2. Dip the tops of each cookie into the red glaze and make it possible for the extra to drip off the cookies in excess of a wire rack. Beautify with white nonpareils or white chocolate shavings so the cookies resemble a meatball topped with sauce and grated cheese.