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| Nutrition Facts | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Serving Size 1 (25g) Recipe makes 40 servings |
||
| Calories 89 | ||
| Calories from Fat 25 | (28%) | |
| Amount Per Serving | %DV | |
| Total Fat 2.8g | 4% | |
| Saturated Fat 1.6g | 8% | |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0.8g | ||
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g | ||
| Trans Fat 0.0g | ||
| Cholesterol 22mg | 7% | |
| Sodium 50mg | 2% | |
| Potassium 18mg | 0% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 14.7g | 4% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.2g | 0% | |
| Sugars 8.4g | ||
| Protein 1.4g | 2% | |
Italian Anise Cookies With Icing and Sprinkles
By: Cookin'Diva
Mar 1, 2007
These delicate cake-like cookies are glazed with icing and topped with colorful candy sprinkles. They have a mild anise flavoring, which is very typical of Italian baked goods. My family always served these cookies at holidays, weddings or special celebrations, but now that I know the recipe, I can enjoy them all year long!
SERVES 40
Ingredients
COOKIE
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons anise extract (or almond extract)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may need up to 3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
ICING
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon anise extract
- food coloring
- decorative candy sprinkles
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.2
For cookies, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add anise extract.3
Blend flour and baking powder. Start by adding about 1/3 of these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar in your mixer, then add 1 T. milk. Add another third of the flour and another 1 T. milk. Finally, mix in enough of the remaining flour until your dough is like a brownie batter (it should be softer than a drop cookie dough).4
Use a 1 T. cookie scooper to make simple round drop cookies - use wet fingers to pat any rough edges OR for an Easter-Egg look, roll 1 T. dough into an elongated ball.5
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (they won't be brown but the insides will be soft and cake-like).6
For icing: mix sugar, milk and extract to make a sugar glaze. HINT: When I make the icing, I make it thick but then I microwave it for 10 seconds so it is thin enough for dipping. Also, I like to divide the mixture in thirds, and then add ONE DROP of food coloring to each batch (pink, green, yellow).7
Hold cookie in your hand and turn upside down so you can dip the top half in the glaze; turn over and immediately top with sprinkles so they will stick.8
Allow icing to harden overnight; then store in air-tight containers or freeze.
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Browse similar recipes by category
- Course > Desserts > Cookies & Brownies > Drop
- Course > Desserts > Cookies & Brownies > Hand-formed
- Cuisine > European > Southern (Mediterranean) > Italian
- Preparation > Time to Make > < 4 hours
- Preparation > Number of Servings > For Large Groups
- Occasion > Holiday/Event > Historical/Traditional
- Occasion > Holiday/Event > Wedding
Featured Reviews for This Recipe
From: Spoiled and Lazy
On Oct 6, 2009
Love these! They are more cake-like than the usual doughy version, and so light that I would have sworn they were made with beaten egg whites if I hadn't made them myself. I added some anise seed to the dough. Yum. Thanks!
From: leslierosek
On Sep 29, 2009
This is a perfect recipe. Not dry. Full of flavor. One of the people I made them for thought the cookies came from an Italian bakery. THANK YOU.
From: justcallmetoni
On Mar 18, 2007
These are truly exceptional cookies and well worth the effort to follow the directions as presented. The cookie itself is light and pillowy with a soft cake inside and delicate exterior (neither crispy nor chewy). The anise is present enough to please those of us who are devotees but gentle enough not to discourage others from enjoying. Based on the results, I am thinking of adding these to my Christmas trays using white icing and an assortment of themed sprinkles. I made my dough today and bake three cookies as testers. The rest of the dough is frozen for baking closer to Easter. Will report back on that experiment. Thanks Cookin'Diva.
From: lilbitandme
On Feb 28, 2008
I have been making these cookies for 20 yrs....from my brother in law who is Italian. He gave me the recipe as a Christmas recipe. He shapes them into what he calls "bowties"....I call them the Christian "FISH", because to me that is what it looks like and its perfect for Christmas! He has always made these around the end of Nov. DOZENS AND DOZENS of them....he and my Hubbys sister take a WEEK off every year JUST to make cookies!!! They make, then freeze them. I don't think they are chewy, but I LOVE black licorice (Anise)!!! I don't DARE tell him I saw this recipe on the internet....he has made me swear I wouldnt EVER give the recipe out....was his great G-Moms!!! 
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