Anisette Cookie Recipes
July 2nd is National Anisette Cookie Day, and in celebration of this sweet day here are some anise flavored cookie recipes to try. They come from my collection of cookbooks from the 50s and 60s. For an interesting one, try an anise drop cookie recipe from 1907 from Old School Pastry.
What is anise? Anise or aniseed is the spice with a licorice flavor. Both the seed and the oil is used to flavor foods in cooking and baking. Aniseed, Pimpinella anisum, has a similar flavor to fennel seed, Foeniculum vulgare, and star anise, Illicium verum. Aniseed is fragrant, very sweet, and a little goes a long way. Anise seed, or aniseed, is also enjoyed by itself for a sweet and flavorful after dinner treat.
Anise Drops
These light cookies call for beating the eggs until light, then adding in powdered sugar gradually. It calls for both oil of anise and anise seeds. This recipe is adapted from the 1953 book, The Family Circle Cake and Cooky Cookbook. Note: this recipe does not call for any chemical leavening (no baking powder or soda).
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 each eggs large
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 drops anise oil
- 1 tablespoon anise seeds
Instructions
- Stir the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt. Sift together.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl until very light. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating well each time you add more.
- Add in the sifted dry ingredients. Stir in the anise oil drips and the anise seeds.
- Drop by spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto sheet pans lined with parchment or silicone sheets. Let dry in a covered space overnight.
- Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack, and store in a covered container when cooled.
Anise Drops
Similar to the above recipe calling for whipping the eggs until light, it uses granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar. It also calls for letting the piped/dropped cookie batter dry overnight before baking. This recipe is adapted from the 1969 book, Cookie Cookery by John and Hazel Zenker. A little note from the dust cover: in 1961 John Zenker designed and created President John F. Kennedy's 44th birthday cake.
Ingredients
- 4 each eggs large
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds ground with a mortor and pestle until a powder
Instructions
- Beat the eggs until very light in color, then slowly add in the granulated sugar. Beat well after each addition. Continue beating until the eggs are a light lemon color.
- Sift the dry ingredients together. Add to the egg mixture and stir with a whip.
- Pipe the cookies onto parchment paper or silicone sheets with a medium sized plain tip (805 or 806). Let stand in a cool, dry and covered area overnight.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until light brown. Transfer to a cooling rack, then store in a in a covered container when cooled.
Anise Crisps
These cookies call for crushed anise seed and rolled oats, giving it a lot of flavor with a fun texture. They are also refrigerator or icebox style, where they are formed into rolls or logs then sliced when ready to bake. This recipe is adapted from the 1963 book The Art of Making Good Cookies Plain and Fancy by Annette Laslett Ross and Jean Adams Disney.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 each egg beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed or used 1 tablespoon crushed anise seed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
Instructions
- Beat the butter until soft, then add in the sugar in parts, scraping the bowl well after each addition.
- Add in the beaten egg, vanilla extract, and anise powder.
- Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder, and add to the butter mixture in three additions. Add in the oatmeal to make a stiff dough.
- Form the cookie dough into desired width logs, and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. chill for 8 hours or until well set.
- When ready to bake, slice the cookies into 1/4 inch thick slices, and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and store in a covered container when cooled.
Frosty Anise Rosettes
These cookies are flavored with anise seed and lemon zest. For an extra anise flavored cookie, add in 1 teaspoon anise extract. They are called "frosty" because they are glazed with a sugar glaze while they are still hot. This recipe is adapted from the 50s era baking booklet Pillsbury's Best Butter Cookie Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup butter soft
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 each eggs
- 2 tablespoons anise seed
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon anise extract optional
Sugar Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/3 cup warmed milk
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and soda together. Reserve.
- Cream the butter, and gradually add in the sugar, beating well.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping well after each addition.
- Using an electric mixture, gradually add in 2 cups of the dry ingredients mixing well after each addition. Stir in remaining ingredients by hand.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, and knead until the dough is smooth.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a log 1/2 inch thick and about 18 inches long. Cut each log into 5 pieces. Cut slits half way through each piece along one side at 1/2 inch intervals. Seal the ends together to form a circle and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, but watch the time and don't let the cookies get very browned. Once they are done, lightly brush with the glaze. Allow to cool.