I've always liked the flavor of anise, but in small doses and at specific times -- like Christmas or while in Italy. My husband on the other hand, loves the flavor and can't get enough of it. So while these are generally Christmas cookies, I probably should be making Iced Anise Cookies more often.
What is Anise
Anise is an ancient spice used throughout the world as a medicine, flavoring, aphrodisiac and even in magic. Drinking anise infused tea was said to increase psychic ability and keeping seeds in your pocket would ward off the evil eye. But mostly, anise attracts. Hunters use it to lure deer, 16th century mice ate it, and fisherman sometimes rub anise oil on bait to attract fish.
Anise Uses
Anise is used in seed form or made into oils or extract. The difference in the two is the way they are made. To make oil, anise plants are boiled in water and the vapors are gathered and condensed. To make extract, oils of the plant are dissolved in alcohol and mixed in water, glycerol and other ingredients. So anise oil is actually stronger and if you have oil rather than extract, you’ll only need to use about a quarter of the amount extract called for in the recipe.
Anise Extract
This recipe calls for anise extract. I didn't think I'd care for it much because unlike deer, mice and fish, I'm not really into anise's flavor, but the cookies were so pretty I wanted to bake them and take a picture. Surprise! They were delicious. Or maybe I'd just never had a really fresh frosted anise cookie? I'm not sure, but I'm looking forward to sharing them with my family of licorice lovers. If I liked the cookies, they'll love them.
Update: I loved the full batch version to the recipe card. Below is a half batch version.
Iced Anise Cookies
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon anise extract
1 ⅓ cup flour (better yet, weigh 175 grams )
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ scant teaspoon salt
Icing:
About ¾ cup powdered sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons melted butter
2 teaspoons milk plus extra if needed
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon anise extract
Multi-Colored Sprinkles
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
Beat the sugar, melted butter, egg, milk and anise extract together using low speed of a hand-held mixer.
Thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the batter and stir just until blended.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, shaping a little to form nice roundes, 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets and bake on center rack for 10 to 14 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are light golden. Cool on wire racks.
Make icing. Mix the sugar and melted butter together until the sugar is moist. Add the milk and beat well until smooth. Beat in the anise extract. It should be thick but pourable. Place a piece of paper towel under your cooling rack so that the glaze can drip through, then spoon it gently over the cookies.
Sprinkle with candy sprinkles.
Makes 24 to 30 cookies.
Recipe
Iced Anise Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (114 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
- 2 ¾ cups flour (350 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons melted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk plus extra if needed
- 1 ¼ teaspoon anise extract
- Multi-Colored Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
- Beat the sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk and anise extract together using low speed of a hand-held mixer.
- Thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the batter and stir just until blended.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, shaping a little to form nice roundes, 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets and bake on center rack for 10 to 14 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are light golden. Cool on wire racks.
- Make icing. Mix the sugar and melted butter together until the sugar is moist. Add the milk and beat well until smooth. Beat in the anise extract. It should be thick but pourable. Place a piece of paper towel under your cooling rack so that the glaze can drip through, then spoon it gently over the cookies.
- Sprinkle with candy sprinkles.
Kate says
I just made these today and they were absolutely delicious! I can't wait to serve them at my family's BBQ tomorrow. I'm also going to tr this recpe with lemon, as we will have children who do not enjoy anise flavoring. Thanks again for the awesome recipe!
Julie says
I love these! I think it's the soft texture of the cookie, and of course the glaze. I've made them before, but I bookmarked this recipe in the Sun-Sentinel (I'm pretty sure you provided the link in a previous post). It sounds like a perfect version of the cookie.
Kim Fluck says
I am looking forward to making these this week. I love to see a recipe like this where I already have all the ingredients at home and don't have to go to the store first! I make another Christmas cookie (Lebkuchen) with anise as an ingredient. My instructions passed down from German Great Grandma specify we use 1/2 teaspoon of oil of anise (anise oil) in the cookies, but if we are using anise extract, we should use 1 teaspoon. So it seems the oil of anise is much stronger than the extract. Good thing because the oil of anise is quite expensive... thanks for another great looking recipe!
Juliana says
Wow, these cookies sure look yummie, like it the way you decorated them, so festive 🙂
Amanda says
I made these, and blogged about them last year. My Italian father in law was visiting and loved them 🙂 Said they reminded him of a cookie his grandma used to make : )
Dolce says
Anise also works beautifully in rice puddings. The spanish way is to have a teaspoon anise extract (or anise liquor) when finishing the rice pudding. You don't exactly taste it but there is a little something different going on and it's quite pleasant !
Sue says
I just compared this recipe to the roll out recipe I was going to try. If I go for an anise cookie this year I'll probably make this one because it isn't a roll out recipe. We have a favorite roll out cookie recipe and I get tired of making them. I like this idea a lot better.
Just in case you're curious, here's the roll out recipe. It has anise seeds in it too. When you made the previous recipe with anise seeds in them were you at all bothered by the anise seeds?
German Anise Christmas Cookies
Makes 4 dozen
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon anise seed
2 teaspoons anise extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flavorings. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix well, then add to creamed mixture. Cover dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until easy to handle.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with medium-size cutters and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and cool on wire rack.
Decorate cookies with icing and crystal sugar.
Kristel says
Perfect timing! I was just looking for a cookie recipe to bake some for my dad while I'm home for the holidays, and he LOVES anise! I don't personally care for it, but if you say they're good, then I'll give them a taste when I bake them in a few weeks. Great picture, too!
Katrina says
These are a little similar to the buttermilk cookies I've made (minus the anise, but I have used lemon), so buttermilk would be great. Now I want to find some anise extract!
Jan says
I'm so glad to see this. These are the exact cookies i'll be baking on sunday. I've got to buy some flavor, so glad to know how they differ.
Anna says
Sue, let us know how the anise works in roll-outs.
Cindy, I was thinking the same thing -- almond, lemon, even vanilla would be good.
Barbara, I think like the extract better than the oil. I had some oil a while back and found it to be too strong. Then again, maybe I was using too much. I'm not sure, but McCormick's isn't that strong.
TechieMomster, I didn't even think about swapping buttermilk for the milk, but it would definitely add some flavor.
Judy, I guess the recipe is somewhat authentic, then.
Judy says
These are allmost identical to a family recipe (in my hubby's Italan family). His aunt would always bring them when she came to visit us, and she gave me her recipe. Sometimes she made them with vanilla instead of anise, but they were always delicious. I always loved the little sprinkles on the glaze.
Techie Momster says
Oh, I also use anise oil instead of extract.
Techie Momster says
These look just like the anise cookies I make, down to the sprinkles I like to use! My recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother, and calls for buttermilk. I think they are more like a teacake. My mom used to roll them into cutouts, but I do not rolling out dough, so I do drop cookies.
Barbara says
These look lovely! I like that bit of anise flavor too.
CindyD says
I don't like anise (or licorice) but I bet these would be good with almond or lemon flavoring.
Sue says
Very pretty! I bought anise extract last year to make a new to me roll out cookie recipe but then I simply got tired of making roll out cookies, so I have an un-opened container of it in the cupboard. These look like they'd be less fuss than roll out cookies and a different but welcome holiday flavor.