Recipe#7358

Title: Anise Pillows

From: Jack/Nannette Wilson jwilson@liii.com 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.baking 
 Subject: Re: Anisette Cookies - recipe needed 
 Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 16:24:57 +0000 
 Message-ID: <32BEB259.6DE1@liii.com> 

4 C flour
 1 C sugar
 1 C margarine/butter
 3 eggs
 5 tsp baking pwd
 1/2 tsp salt
 3/4 tsp anise extract
 1-3 tsp ground anise seeds
 Combine ingredients in mixing bowl, mix at low speed with electric
 mixer until well blended.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Shape 1 heaping
 tsp dough into 1 1/2" oval.  Place dough 1" apart on ungreased cookie
 sheet.  Bake 10 min. or until lightly browned.  Store in tightly covered
 container.  Makes approx. 5 doz.
 Ice with buttercream frosting: (my own recipe)
 1 1/2 - 2 C confectioner's sugar
 2 Tbsp butter/marg
 milk to make spreadable consistency
 1/2 tsp anise flavoring
 pinch of salt
 Combine ingredients until spreadable consistency. 
 Decorate frosted cookies immediately with holiday or colored sprinkles.
 Here is another cookie with anise flavoring - Mexican origin
 Sesame Anise Melts
 2 C flour
 1/4 tsp baking soda
 3/4 C lard (I use butter Crisco)
 3/4 C granulated sugar
 1 Tbsp anise seed, crushed
 1/4 tsp salt
 1 egg
 1 C toasted sesame seeds
 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 4 large baking sheets.  In medium
 bowl, combine flour and baking soda; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl,
 beat lard, sugar, anise seed and salt until light and fluffy.  Beat in
 egg.  Stir in flour mixture 1/2 C at a time, blending well after each
 addition.
 Place sesame seed in a medium bowl.  Divide dough in quarters; return
 all but one portion to refrigerator.  With floured hands roll rounded
 teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll in sesame seed, coating all
 sides.  Arrange balls, 1 1/2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. 
 Use the bottom of a glass to flatten balls to about a 1/4" thickness.
 Repeat with remaining dough.
 Bake 6-9 min., or until browned around edges. Cool on racks.  Store in
 an airtight container at room temperature 10 days, freeze for longer
 storage.  These cookies are very fragile, so store carefeully.