Editors' Pick
Italian Grandmother Anise Cookies
"This is my grandmother's recipe, but since I didn't have a chance to know her I think of them as my mom's cookies. She uses 5 pounds of flour in her batch because she makes them once a year for the family reunion, so I whittled her recipe down into a 4 dozen batch. The amount of anise is up to you. If you think you didn't add enough anise to the cookies, you can add some to the icing. I like to leave some of them unfrosted since they're pretty darn good plain."
photo by eabeler
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
48 cookies
- Serves:
- 24
ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 5 large eggs
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 -5 teaspoons anise extract
-
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1⁄4 cup milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- candy sprinkles
directions
- 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.
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Reviews
-
I looked at a few anise cookies but yours is the one I decided on! I half-ed your recipe, a good recipe in my opinion can be shrunk down, I did use about 1/4 cup more flour. I love anise and could have used 5 teaspoons in my half recipe but I used the recommended so not to make them over powering plus that is all I had.After tasting just the cookie so good not dry at all I thought I needed more anise so with a quick run to the store to buy more anise I will add some to the frosting as well ...nothing like layering flavor, a sprinkle of gold to let every one know that they are as precious as gold! YUMMY they are DELICIOUS! I got 36 on a half recipe. -
These are delicious! They are the perfect texture and aren't too sugary. I love that they don't have butter in them but they taste like they do. -
These turn out great ever time I make them. I do have to add a 1/4 more of flour so I can work them into balls with my hands. My husbands co workers always ask for them too.
