Anise Sesame Cookies Recipes

AUNT ANNE'S SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and anise extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well incorporated. If you are using a stand mixer, let the dough mix for another minute to add lightness to the dough. The dough will be soft, but will hand roll easily.
• Pinch off pieces of dough slightly smaller than a walnut, and roll them into small logs. Dip in milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread very much.
• Bake for 17 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottom and sides of cookies are lightly toasted. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

SESAME ANISE MELTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the lard and sugar. Stir in the egg and anise seeds. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Put the sesame seeds into a shallow bowl or saucer. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll them in the sesame seeds to coat. Place them 1 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the balls slightly using the bottom of a glass.
• Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

ANISE SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Soak anise seeds in boiling-hot water until most of water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in 1 egg and anise seeds with any remaining soaking liquid until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide dough into 4 balls and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• While oven preheats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin into a 7-inch round (slightly less than 1/4 inch thick; if dough becomes too soft to roll out, chill on a baking sheet until firm). Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutter and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Brush each cookie lightly with egg wash, then sprinkle with some of sesame seeds.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
• Gather scraps and chill until firm enough to reroll. Make more cookies with remaining dough, scraps (reroll only once), and sesame seeds, then bake on cooled sheets.

ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times or until smooth. Divide dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a 24-in. log. Cut logs into 2-in. pieces., Place sesame seeds and milk in separate shallow bowls. Brush pieces with milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until set and bottoms are lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

BROWN SUGAR-ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2 cups flour, the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and light brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla paste and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping bowl as needed.
• Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Divide dough in two, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and flatten into disks. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Place one piece of dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment, or a silicone baking mat, and flour both sides of the dough and the rolling pin. Roll dough into an oblong oval that is roughly 7-by-10 inches and a generous 1/4-inch thick. Prick all over with a floured fork. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Slide rolled dough on parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water to thin it out. Lightly brush the top of the dough with the egg white, and sprinkle with the anise seeds, pressing gently to adhere. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, then bake until turning deeply golden at the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Let cool on the baking sheet. After about 5 minutes, use a knife, pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut crosswise into 3/4-inch strips. Alternatively, let cool and serve whole, allowing guests to break into pieces. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

SESAME-ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine anise seeds with boiling water and steep while mixing dough. Gradually blend sugar with butter and soda. Add 1 egg. Mix. Strain anise liquid into the mixture, discarding seed. Stir in flour, a little at a time. Mix well. Chill dough overnight or until stiff enough to handle. Shape dough into small balls (use 1/8 teaspoon measure as a scoop). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with waxed paper and flatten to 1/8" thickness with the bottom of a flat glass. By this time the dough will have softened and the waxed paper will stick, so place paper-covered sheet in or near freezer for 5 minutes. Peel off waxed paper. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (Toast seeds in shallow baking pan for 20 minutes in a 350* oven, turning frequently.) Bake cookies in preheated oven
• 400* about 7 minutes until lightly browned.

TRADITIONAL ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• With a Kitchenaid mixer: beat eggs 20 minutes with 2 cups of granulated sugar (yes I mean 20 minutes as this is what will make the cookies light as a feather with a crisp melt in you mouth top crust).
• Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tsp anise oil and blend well.
• Drop by tablespoonsful onto greased cookie sheets and let stand in a draft free place overnight.
• Bake in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes until light golden but do not brown.
• Cool on baking racks thoroughly before storing.
• Store in a tightly covered cookie tin (not plastic).
• The longer you let the cookie age, the better it will be.