Herb Of The Week - Anise - Cookie Recipes

November 21, 2004

Here are some cookie recipes I've had stored ... Sorry, don't have the

original credits to give ...

Be sure to use Pimpinella anisum Anise oil!

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

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Anise Italian Pizzelle

Yield: 15 Dozen

INGREDIENTS

3 c Sugar

3 1/2 c Eggs

2 1/4 c Melted butter

5 Tbsp Grated orange peel

3 Tbsp Grated lemon peel

3 tsp Orange extract

2 tsp Lemon extract

1 c Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Anise oil

7 -8 cups flour

INSTRUCTIONS

You need a pizzelle iron to make the cookies. These can be found at

Williams Sonoma, Target or any good Deli or specialty food or cooking

store.

Whip the eggs until very frothy. Add the sugar and cream well. Add

the melted shortening--be sure it is not hot--and cream well. Add the

flavorings and mix well.

Measure half the flour in a very large bowl--8 qt. size or better--add

the egg mixture and mix together with a heavy wooden spoon--or any

large spoon. Add the remaining half of the flour one cup at a time

and mix well. You have added enough flour when the mixture " glomps "

off the spoon and is still a little runny--not real thick. Usually 7

cups of flour is adequate--depends on the weather (really!).

Heat up the iron for a few minutes then make the cookies by placing 1

full teaspoon full of the dough in the center of each form. Press

closed tightly and cook for about 1 minute. Immediately move the

cookie to wax paper to cool. The cookies are very soft at this point

and will take the shape of any bumps in the wax paper--so make it

smooth. This recipe makes about 14 -20 dozen cookies depending on the

size you make them. It can be cut in half easily without losing any

flavor. When the cookies are thoroughly cool--crisp--stack them and

leave them in the open--do not cover they will become very soft and

unappetizing. If you can, do not eat them for about 3 days to a week.

The flavor of the anise improves with a few days age.

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Title: Middle Eastern Sesame Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen +

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rendered butter or vegetable shortening (Crisco)

2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

1-1/4 cups sugar

5 teaspoons baking powder

6 drops anise oil

6 cups flour

1 cup soymilk

Topping:

1 egg well beaten or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1 drop anise oil

1/2 cup sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix the topping ingredients and set aside. Cream together the shortening

or butter and sugar. Add the baking powder, eggs or egg substitute and 6

drops anise oil. Gradually add the soymilk and flour, alternately. Knead

the dough well. Pinch a piece of dough the size of a walnut and roll in

the palms of hands into a rope 4 inches in length. Bring ends together

to form a circle. Dip each cookie into the topping ingredients only

enough to cover the top of cookie and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet in the center of oven. Bake at

350-degrees until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

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Special German Springerle

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar

20 drops (approximately 1/4 teaspoon) anise OIL

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon bakers Ammonia (Available at some drug stores)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter, melted

Additional desirable items: A very strong stand mixer with a " paddle " , a

medicine-dropper for measuring the anise oil, a rolling pizza cutter, a

regular rolling pin, a springerle rolling pin or imprinters and airbake

cookie sheets.

Anise OIL does not evaporate out of the cookies as anise EXTRACT does.

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat eggs in stand mixer with " paddle " (not the wire whip) until light.

Slow mixer down and continue beating while adding powdered sugar.

Continue beating for 15 to 20 minutes, or until like soft meringue. Slow

mixer down again and add the anise oil, measuring with medicine dropper,

and add the butter.

Slow mixer way down and mix together three cups of the flour,the bakers

ammonia, baking powder and baking soda, and gradually add to the mixer.

Add enough of the last cup of flour to make the dough stiff enough to

roll.

If you sample the dough at this point, you will be able to taste the

Baker's ammonia, but it will completely evaporate out when the cookies

are baked, but helps them to be higher and lighter. The last cup of

flour is used to make the dough stiff enough to handle and also to flour

the rolling pin and board.

When the dough is stiff enough to roll, stop mixer, remove paddle or

beater, cover bowl with a dishtowel and let dough sit for 15 minutes to

ripen. This DOES make a difference--it will make the dough easier to

handle although the dough will still be sticky.

On lightly floured surface with regular rolling pin, roll dough a little

thicker than 1/4 inch. Dust Springerle rolling pin or other forms with

flour and press into dough hard enough to make clear impressions. Use

pizza cutter to cut cookies apart and place on greased air-bake cookie

sheets. One recipe should fill up two sheets.

Let stand UNCOVERED on cookie sheets for 8 hours or for overnight. Tops

of cookies must be DRY for impression to remain when they are baked.

Bake in slow 300 degree oven for 20 minutes until set but not brown. Do

not allow bottoms or tops of cookies to brown. Air bake sheets work best

for this. The cookies should be a light straw color when done.

Cookies are best if allowed to age in airtight containers (ziplock bags

work for this) for several days before eating or freezing. I include in

each container a napkin soaked with a few more drops of anise oil.

Makes enough to fill two air-bake sheets.

These are great with coffee for breakfast in the morning--so be aware of

disappearing cookies before Christmas!

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Springerle Christmas Cookies

INGREDIENTS

4-eggs

1-pound confectioners' sugar

3 1/2-cups cake flour

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1-tbsp melted butter

8-drops of anise oil

1/2-tsp aniseed

1-tsp baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat eggs and sugar for 1 hour. Add 1 cup cake flour, grated lemon rind

and butter. Add remaining flour, anise oil and aniseed. Mix in baking

powder. Chill dough. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Press with

springerle rolling pin and cut in squares. Keep cool overnight. Separate

and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325º for 20 minutes. Store in

tight container for 3 to 4 weeks.

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Anise Biscotti

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 cup sugar

5-6 egg whites

1 whole egg

Drops anise oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon coriander

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Orange peel (optional)

1 1/2 cups slivered almonds

4 1/2 cups flour

Place ingredients into a mixing bowl in the order listed above,

incorporating each succeeding ingredient into the mixture (the egg

whites and the egg do not need to be beaten separately). The dough

should be stiff and a little sticky, but if it seems too stiff, add a

little water or another egg white.

Press the dough onto a flat cookie sheet, making it about 4 inches wide

and 1/4 inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Take the

biscotti out of the oven, slice into strips an inch or so wide, then tip

each strip over onto its side, exposing the unbaked side. Put it back

into the oven and bake again for another 15 minutes or so.

An icing for the biscotti can be made by mixing one egg white with

powdered sugar until the desired consistency is achieved, then adding

anise and vanilla extract to taste.

November 21, 2004

Just a quick note on this cookie recipe below that I posted along with

some others last night - DON'T use shortening ;-p That stuff is the

WORST for us Use butter or you can even use Palm Oil in place of

shortening, but please, NEVER use shortening in your cooking (heck, I

don't even like using it in soap making)!

I can't believe I didn't catch that and change it in the recipe .... As

I said in yesterday's post, these aren't my recipes, and regrettably I

don't have original credits to give ... so if anyone tries them, and/or

changes them, please give feedback As soon as I can find MY family's

anisette cookie recipe I'll post it ....

*Smile*

Chris (list mom - about to sign off the computer due to some HEAVY

thunderstorms heading my way)