Italian Cookies with Anise
Share recipe
Description
Every family reunion since I can remember my great Aunt Nin brings anise-flavored Italian cookies that everybody loves. I figured out her exact recipe by trial and error but don't tell her! Sprinkle with nonpareils or sprinkles when icing is still wet, but hurry, they dry fast!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon anise extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 2. 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.
- 3. 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.
- 4. 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.
- 5. Mix milk into confectioners' sugar for icing, stirring slowly. Add the anise extract and vanilla extract.
- 6. Dip cooled cookies into the icing face-down and lay on wax paper or a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts
serving: 36 cookies
calories: 105.8 kcal
carbohydrates: 17.8 g
protein: 1.7 g
saturated fat: 1.8 g
cholesterol: 22.3 mg
sodium: 27.1 mg
fiber: 0.3 g
sugar: 9.7 g
Categories