Josephine's Anise Cookies
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5.0
42 reviews
Excellent
Josephine's Anise Cookies
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With a soft texture and warm, licorice-like flavor, my grandmother's Italian anise cookies are a longstanding Christmas tradition in my family.
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable or corn oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 1-1/2 to 3 teaspoons pure anise extract *
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- Pinch salt
Glaze
- 1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon anisette liqueur OR
- 1/2 teaspoon pure anise extract
- multicolored nonpareils for decorating
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and anise extract until well-combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Set aside and let batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in the upper-middle position. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop cookie batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart. (I use a 1-1/2 teaspoon cookie scoop.)
- Bake, one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes, until centers of cookies bounce back when gently pressed. The cookies should not brown. Remove from oven and let rest 2-3 minutes.
- While cookies are still warm, remove from baking sheets by gently lifting each cookie while peeling back the parchment paper (a thin crumb impression of the cookies will remain on the parchment; this is normal.) Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool before glazing.**
Make the glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioner's sugar, milk, salt, and anise extract or liqueur until smooth (I use liqueur). When cookies have cooled to room temperature, dip tops into glaze and sprinkle immediately with nonpareils. Let stand at room temperature until glaze is dry.
Notes
- *My grandmother's cookies, made with 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of extract always had a lovely, prominent anise flavor. I love them this way. If you prefer a more subtle flavor, or if you're using an artisanal brand of extract that's particularly potent, decrease the quantity in the batter to 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons.
- **I place a layer of wax paper under my cooling racks to make cleanup after glazing a breeze. When finished, just roll up the paper, with all of the dripped glaze and sprinkles, and discard.
- The longer the cookies sit, the color of the nonpareils might "bleed" a little into the glaze. This is normal and does not affect flavor. These cookies should not be frozen and are best enjoyed within a day or two of baking.
Nutrition Information
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Calories
66kcal
(3%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
2g
(3%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
9mg
(3%)
Sodium
5mg
(0%)
Potassium
26mg
(1%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
20IU
(0%)
Calcium
11mg
(1%)
Iron
0.4mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 54cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 66 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 66kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 2g | 3% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 5mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 26mg | 1% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 20IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 11mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
42 reviews
Excellent
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