ITALIAN COOKIES WITH ANISE

Italian Cookies with Anise image

Every family reunion since I can remember my great Aunt Nin brings anise-flavored Italian cookies that everybody loves. I figured out her exact recipe by trial and error but don't tell her! Sprinkle with nonpareils or sprinkles when icing is still wet, but hurry, they dry fast!

Provided by AliciaVR6

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 55m

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon anise extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon anise extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Beat butter and sugar for dough together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and anise extract and blend. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl; stir into butter mixture until blended.
Take a ping pong-sized ball of dough and roll between your hands to form a rope. Connect the ends and twist into a figure 8 shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix milk into confectioners' sugar for icing, stirring slowly. Add the anise extract and vanilla extract.
Dip cooled cookies into the icing face-down and lay on wax paper or a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.8 calories, Carbohydrate 17.8 g, Cholesterol 22.3 mg, Fat 3.1 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 27.1 mg, Sugar 9.7 g