Italian Christmas Sprinkle Cookies

Slide the oven rack to the middle and turn the oven on to 350°F.

In your stand mixer, toss together the flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, and baking powder. Pulse on low until everything looks evenly blended.

Add the vegetable shortening, almond extract, and lemon extract to the flour mixture. Mix until the crumbs look fine and sandy.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they’re light and frothy. Slowly stream the eggs into the dough while the mixer runs; the dough will be thick and stiff.

Pinch off walnut-size pieces and roll them into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on a clean baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms are just golden and the tops stay pale.

While the cookies bake, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, warmed whole milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth.

Pull the cookies from the oven. One at a time, dip a fork into the glaze, lift a cookie, let the glaze drip off, then set it on a rack. Immediately scatter sprinkles on top. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

Let the cookies cool completely so the glaze firms up. Keep them in a sealed container until you’re ready to serve.