Grammys Anise Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN COOKIES WITH ANISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat butter and sugar for dough together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and anise extract and blend. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl; stir into butter mixture until blended.
• Take a ping pong-sized ball of dough and roll between your hands to form a rope. Connect the ends and twist into a figure 8 shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Mix milk into confectioners' sugar for icing, stirring slowly. Add the anise extract and vanilla extract.
• Dip cooled cookies into the icing face-down and lay on wax paper or a wire rack.

ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar and heaping tablespoon of baking powder.
• In another bowl whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and anise extract.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients. Dough will be sticky, add up to an extra 1/4 cup of flour if needed.
• Shape cookies as desired (lightly oiled hands will help). One way to do it: roll about 2 tablespoons of dough between hands until you have a rope, fold rope in half and twist. You can also just make little dough patties.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (this is good for dark nonstick sheets, you might need to bake a little longer if using airbake sheets).
• Remove from cookie sheets and let cool completely.
• To make icing, melt butter then add milk. Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Add more sugar or milk until at desired spreading consistency.
• Frost cookies. Icing will harden quickly so add non-pareils or other sprinkles immediately after frosting each cookie.

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.

CHOCOLATE ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Add the ground anise seed and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Form the dough into a 16-inch-long, 3-inch-wide log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes.
• Place the log on the cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the cookies cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.