The anise cookies are typical Italian traditional cookies from Abruzzo to Sicily with several variations, yet they remain crispy on the outside and soft inside with an intense anise flavor.
Made with flour, sugar, butter, and anise seeds, they are the perfect accompaniment for a cup of hot tea or coffee.
My daughter found the perfect opportunity to make them when visiting her cousin for a snack together and thought of preparing a step-by-step to explain the recipe well.
The dough for these cookies is very simple and can be easily kneaded by hand, but if you want to simplify this step like her, you can use a stand mixer with the leaf hook, ideal for compact but not too hard doughs.
The intense anise aroma that spread when she opened the oven filled our kitchen until evening, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
For those who love homemade cookies, I remind you of other recipes like
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 15 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 113.71 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.49 (g) of which sugars 7.38 (g)
- Proteins 2.50 (g)
- Fat 3.39 (g) of which saturated 2.00 (g)of which unsaturated 1.27 (g)
- Fibers 0.47 (g)
- Sodium 31.77 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup butter (cold)
- 1 tablespoon anise seeds (heaping)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 packet baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
Preparation
The dough for these cookies is very simple because it allows us to combine all the ingredients and knead. So let’s start with the flour and sugar, add the egg, salt, diced butter, anise, two tablespoons of milk, and finally the baking powder. Mix the ingredients that will seem disconnected at first, but as the butter melts, they blend together to form a nice dough. Remember, you can knead by hand in a bowl and then on a work surface or directly in a stand mixer.
With the dough obtained, we need to form a compact loaf.
Place the loaf of dough on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25/30 minutes or until golden as seen in the picture.
Let the loaf cool slightly, it will take about 20/30 minutes, then with the help of a good large knife, cut your cookies.
My advice is to place the loaf on a cutting board and with a firm cut, prepare each cookie. Some crumbs are inevitable but will be a welcome appetizer for the cookies you will enjoy later 😂.
Put the cookies back in the hot oven again at 350°F for about 5 minutes, turn off the oven, leave them in the turned-off oven with the door open for another 5 minutes, and then take them out.
NOTES
The double baking of the cookie might seem like an unnecessary step, but it ensures the cookie’s crispness and that unique taste, as well as making them last longer.
These cookies keep well stored in classic cookie jars with a lid, so my advice is to make at least a double batch because they will be gone quickly.
If you liked the recipe or have any questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and X.
