Italian Anise Cookies
Why I Love This Recipe
This is my Grandma Frances' recipe. She always made these when I was a kid, especially at Christmas time. I didn't really like them until I was a little older and then I loved them! These are authentic Italian Anise cookies as made by my chops busting Italian Grandma, who I miss dearly. Enjoy!
A word of warning, if this dough is overworked there is a danger of them coming out like hockey puks. You should be able to sink your teeth into them. I don't consider myself a "caker" so I have not attempted these without my mother by my side, but I know a lot of you are
terrific "cakers" who understand the science of baking better than I. So, God speed ahead to you.
Ingredients You'll Need
4 cups flour
4 tsps baking powder
4 jumbo eggs
1 bar (1/4 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 drops anise oil
Frosting Ingredients:
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 drop anise oil
multi colored nonparel sprinkles for decor
warm water (add in small spoonfulls until the right consistency is achieved)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar - add one egg at a time until mixed. Gradually add dry ingredients until a ball is formed. Quickly add anise oil and mix for about 20 seconds.
Cut dough into individual sections (about 1 tbsp each) and roll out into the form of snakes. Now you can have fun shaping the snakes into varous forms (pretzel, "s" shapes etc.)
Lay out on greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes. When cookies are baked and cooled you can frost them.
Frosting:
mix frosting
Frost by dipping the top of the cookie into the frosting. Lay out on waxed paper until dry (usually takes a couple of hours).
