Italian Anise Cookies
Italian Anisette
Anise Cookies
The most delicious, authentic Italian Anise Cookies recipe you will find. These cookies are perfect any time of the year! I know they are traditional served around the holidays but we make them all the time!
For the cookies:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp anise extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
For the icing-
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
3-4 tbsp nonpareils sprinkles
Instructions
Begin by creaming together butter and sugar.
Slowly add eggs and anise. Mix until fully combined.
Next, add flour and baking powder and mix until a cookie dough forms.
Wrap cookie dough in plastic and chill for one hour.
Once time is up, remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll cookie dough into spheres, about 1-inch in diameter. Space cookies at least 2 inches apart from each other (you may have to bake in batches).
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned.
Allow for the cookies to cool down.
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk.
Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the powdered sugar and milk mixture. Sprinkle with nonpareils sprinkles.
Serve and enjoy!
How to Bake in Batches to Make the Most of Your Baking Time
One way to handle your holiday baking is to bake in batches, then freeze and store for the big day. You can do this successfully over a couple of weeks with batch baking and batch preparing.
The biggest thing to remember is to only try a few different types of things in one day, or focus on just one type of baked good in one day. For example, you might want to bake all your quick breads in one day. Another day you can prepare all your cookie dough. Yet another time, you can bake all your fruit pies and so forth. This process makes the most of the time you have, the space you have, and your skill level.
Be Prepared
Don’t try batch baking without a plan of action. Be sure to write down your plans in advance so that you are sure you have enough time to do everything that you’ve planned. To figure out a basic time line, add up the prep time, the baking time for each oven full, and then multiply that by 1.5 to account for a little extra issues happening. Then you should be sure that you have enough time.
Get Everything Ready to Go
Your kitchen should be spotless when you start, and ensure that you have all the ingredients and appliances necessary to make each item ready to go. If you know, for example, that today you’ll be using about 10 pounds of flour, consider using a large bowl to hold the flour so you can easily spoon the flour into the measuring cup, flatten off over the bowl, without having to get into the bag over and over which usually means spillage.
Clean as You Go
Fill your sink immediately with hot soapy water so you can clean as you go. You will want to wash your mixing dishes and other utensils during the baking process so that you can use them again. There’s no point in totally destroying your kitchen as you batch bake, and you don’t have to. Set out a draining board, fill the sink with hot soapy water, and wash as you go. There are many opportunities during baking to wash a couple of dishes, and this will make the clean-up faster, and the process more organized.
All Day Batch Baking
You can set aside a day for batch baking such as a Saturday. Plan for all day baking, which usually entails 8 to 10 hours of work. Ensure that any other chores are done, including the shopping, and the kitchen is clean and ready prior to baking day. It’s important to organize your recipes with some logic behind them. For example, if you need dough to rise, start that first, so that it can be rising as you are preparing other things such as cookie dough or pie crusts. Both can be put in the refrigerator or freezer after preparation while you bake the bread, then baked after you bake the bread while the oven is still hot and ready.
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FAQs
Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add oil, milk, eggs, and 1 tablespoon anise extract; mix together to form a workable dough. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, flatten slightly, and place 1 inch apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
Which of the following is a very popular cookie from Italy? ›
Biscotti: Perhaps one of the most famous Italian cookies, biscotti are crispy, twice-baked treats that are perfect for dipping in coffee or wine. Traditionally flavored with almonds and fragrant anise, these long-lasting cookies are a staple in every Italian household.
Are anise cookies good for you? ›
Healthy Anise Cookie
A great company for a cup of thee or coffee. Anise is good for digestion and by using olive oil instead of butter there are no saturated fats.
What do you use anise extract for? ›
One teaspoon of Pure Anise Extract delivers the flavor strength of 1-1/2 teaspoons of dry Anise Seed and can be used instead of ground or whole Anise Seed in recipes. Use McCormick Culinary Pure Anise Extract in house-made Galliano or Absinthe liquors, baked goods and coffee or tea.
What is the difference between anise and anisette? ›
Anise is always the main ingredient, and the liqueur also must meet minimum sugar (350 g/L), alcohol (38% abv) and anethole (anise aroma) content requirements. By comparison, anisette (sometimes seen as anisetta), is also an anise distillate, but it can be made with other ingredients in addition to anise.
What kind of alcohol is anisette? ›
Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless and, because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits (e.g. absinthe).
What is the most popular Italian cookie in the United States? ›
Biscotti Amaretti is the most famous Italian cookie of all. Made without flour or any added fat this almond macaroon is light, crunchy and intensely almond.
What is the Italian cookie called? ›
This is the proper name for the biscuit we know as biscotti, which in Italian just means “cookies.” Twice-baked and sliced, these ultra-crunchy, not-too-sweet biscuits are usually studded with nuts and simply beg to be dipped in coffee, tea, or a glass of vin santo.
What is the number one cookie in the world? ›
Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.
Who should not eat star anise? ›
Children: It is possibly unsafe for star anise to be taken by mouth in children. Serious side effects, including vomiting and seizures, have been reported in infants and adults given star anise tea. Star anise teas may be contaminated with Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), which is poisonous.
At typical amounts in food, anise is generally considered safe. However, with excessive amounts, possible symptoms of toxicity with anise may include: Abnormal hormone levels—with potential effects on sperm count or fertility. Breathing problems from an allergic reaction or too much fluid in the lungs.
Which is better star anise or anise? ›
The major culinary difference between anise and star anise is that anise seed is potent, with an almost spicy flavor, while star anise is subtly milder. They can be used interchangeably in recipes, but amounts must be adjusted to accommodate the mildness of the Asian ingredient.
Can anise go bad? ›
As a general rule of thumb, whole spices such as peppercorns, cinnamon quills and star anise will keep their optimum flavour profile for up to three years when stored correctly.
Is anise a laxative? ›
Hot water extracts of the seeds have been used also in folk medicine for their diuretic and laxative effect, expectorant and anti-spasmodic action, and their ability to ease intestinal colic and flatulence.
What does anise do for the body? ›
Overview. Anise is an herb. The seed (fruit) and oil, and less frequently the root and leaf, are used to make medicine. Anise is used for upset stomach, intestinal gas, “runny nose,” and as an expectorant to increase productive cough, as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and as an appetite stimulant.
What is anise flavor in baking? ›
Anise seeds lend a licorice flavor to baked goods and more. This spice is widely used in Middle Eastern, Italian, German, Indian, and Mexican cooking.
What is the flavor of anise? ›
Anise has a very strong licorice taste, thus why it is often a divisive flavor among those who are not accustomed to it. Some people also find it offers a subtle sweetness.
Is anisette a licorice? ›
Anisette and licorice. It's commonly believed that they're the same, but they're actually quite different. Each of these delightful flavors are harvested from their own plant and have their own unique flavor profiles.
What is anise candy made of? ›
Boil sugar, syrup and water until hard crack stage when dipped in cold water. Remove from heat; add flavoring and food color; shake pan to mix, do not stir. Pour onto a cooking sheet and cut at once.
