Italian Christmas Cookies With Cocoa And Orange Liqueur - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cookies:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Beat white sugar and butter together in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs. Stir creamed butter mixture, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons liqueur, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into flour mixture until dough is just combined.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding flour as needed to keep from dough sticking to your hands. Roll dough, 1 to 2 tablespoons per cookie, in your hands and form a log-shape; twirl log into desired shape. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Stir confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons liqueur, water, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together in a bowl until icing is creamy. Dip cookies into icing. Place a piece of waxed paper under a wire rack and place cookies on wire rack to cool.