My Mom's Italian Christmas Cookies recipe (Knot Cookies)

My mother, with the help of us children, made these cookies every December. I fixed my mother's recipe to make a more tender cookie that would hold its texture longer. These are traditional. My grandmother was from Naples, Italy.

In their simplest form, the dough is shaped in a single knot, and therefore these are also known as Knot Cookies. As children, we enjoyed shaping the dough in different ways. It was like playing with modeling clay.

The recipe is on my web site:

If you like this video, help it succeed by sharing the link in social media. Also, please click the Like button and if you haven't yet subscribed to my channel, please do so. Thank you.

[KathleenThomas-ze]

My Grandmother did the same! No one was ever around when she made them. But I never forgot them. They were decorated beautifully and tasted great!

[cabighorse]

My 4 yo granddaughter absolutely loves these cookies. She informed me that she is coming to spend the night and we will make these.

[TheKandolas]

A great childhood memory for me, as well! My Nanna (Nonna) from Pescocostanazo (Abruzzi) Italy, passed this down to my mother. I am searching for Mom's recipe but going to go with yours most likely (as these look and sound identical). I'll update you after the baking or the holidays! Thanks so very much!!! Happiest of holidays!!!

[therelaxationstation]

Bless your heart for honoring your mother and her wonderful cookie recipe! 🤗🤗🤗.

[sylviaseri]

Mom’s Family is from Naples, Italy too. She called these Anisette cookies. I will try your recipe. Looks good!
My mother added anisette to the frosting.

[theresabollman]

Back in the old days I was told to use Crisco and my cookies would stay fresh and soft for a long time. It did too! But the butter has to make them extra delicious.

[reneebanbury]

These look delicious! I love remembering my childhood!

[fallmax]

Why hello I just found your video. What a beautiful video. I never knew how to make these cookies and all these wonderful shapes. Thank you so much for your time and talent. I can’t wait to make these.🎉

[courtneylynnwillingham]

my mom grandma is Italy too. I am excited to try them with butter because when I was a kid to they would be so hard by the time the post came. Thank for sharing. buon Natale!🎄🎅

[AussieAngeS]

Oh my mother used to make these Italian cookies, they looked similar but I don't remember how she made them. My parents are calabrese. I remember eating cookies like this but they were more fluffy and larger. These look delicious. Mum has those sugar things also that you showed in the end of your video.

[dfwquiltr]

A tip for you that we do I. The cookie decorating g world to make frosting cookies like this go much faster is we dip them, and when u use your candy dots put them in a bowl and dip your cookies in the bowl. This way you don’t waste them. What u don’t use but them back in the jar.
These cookies look like fun to make I will have to try them.

[MsGirlOnline]

I love how you add the weights of the ingredients!! Helps a bunch! :)

[dpfb]

Very different way of mixing in components for the Anisette cookies. I love trying different methods on recipes passed down through the generations. This Christmas, I'm going to give your recipe a try and skip my family Anisette cookie recipe (which I make several times a year... yum). Thanks for sharing. Buon Natale

[ninamurano]

Great demeanor. Delicious traditional Italian Xmas taste

[mlang]

Oh this is my grandmother’s recipe for Biscottis, (biscuit cookie) as well. She was from Sicily.. and your right, her cookies were always hard, great for dunking in your coffee! Lol But I too use 1/2 butter, and 1/2 shortening because we like them softer. And we love orange extract...your the first person that I’ve seen share this wonderful recipe. Merry Christmas! Also a little tip to keep them soft, is put a slice of bread into an airtight container with the cookies, and they will soften right up.

[GolDreadLocks]

This is Great!
I used to make braids, wreaths, christmas tree, candy cane shapes etc, and hang them on the tree, and eat them through the holidays!
We would add different coloured string ribbon after baking to hang them!

[oneitalia]

Lovely! 😍 I can't believe how many different dough designs you made in about 2 minutes! You had SO MANY cute and different shapes! These cookies are wonderful ~ I do remember them from yesteryear just like you do. Thank you so much for posting. (12/21/24) Buon Natalie Mr. Viau 🥇🇮🇹🏆

[foxibiloxi]

Growing up grandma made these cookies throughout the year so we had them in the house at most times. And they were always hard as rocks.. That's the way they were meant to be, at least in our house. Each morning, Pop would dip them into his coffee and we kids would dip them into our milk. At night, Pop would dip them into his Chianti or Burgundy or which ever Dago Red he was drinking. Even without a drink to dip them in, we loved them, hard as a rock. I didn't think there was any other way to eat these cookies....

[PinkeeLee]

mmm. my favorite. i remember a few anise seeds. my mom never used icing and i loved them. thanks for the recipe.

[kimbrocato]

My Great Grandmother from Sicily used to make the same type of cookies and no one in the family knew the recipe. This is why it's important to pass down recipes from generation to generation.