These festive Anise Cookies are tender, flavorful, and have simply the correct quantity of sweetness. The licorice-like taste of the anise pairs fantastically with the tender cookie and candy glazed icing. These Italian Anise Cookies will make an ideal addition to your Christmas gathering!
These Anise Cookies are basic Italian cookies and a vacation favourite in my home. When you love the anise taste as I do, you’ll completely love these. However even when you don’t, it’s straightforward to skip it and sub in just a little extra vanilla – or lemon! – for a very tasty chunk.
Whether or not you make these with anise or with out, these Christmas cookies are at all times an enormous hit with family and friends. And with the addition of the icing and sprinkles, they’re eye-catching on a cookie tray.
Anise cookies are tender, tender, and extremely straightforward to make. The cake-like texture of the cookie will soften in your mouth, and the subtly-flavored icing will make your style buds sing. The anise taste may be very clearly there however isn’t overpowering. Follow the one teaspoon listed within the recipe to not overdo it.
I hope you take pleasure in these anise Christmas cookies as a lot as I do!
What You’ll Want
This basic Italian cookie is a vacation favourite. When you love the anise taste, you’ll love these tasty Christmas cookies. Scroll right down to the recipe card for particular portions.
To Make the Anise Cookies
- Unsalted Butter: Ensure that the butter is at room temperature.
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk: I used 2% for this recipe.
- Anise Extract
- Vanilla Extract: Make sure you embrace it. It helps steadiness the anise.
- All-Goal Flour
- Baking Powder
- Sprinkles: These are non-compulsory, however enjoyable.
For the Icing
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Anise Extract
Make the Cookies
- Preheat the Oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put together the Baking Sheets. Line baking sheets with a layer of parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This may stop the cookies from sticking to the pan. Set them apart.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Utilizing an electrical mixer on medium velocity, cream the butter and sugar till they’re mild in coloration and fluffy. You need to be capable to see the colour change occur and realize it’s on the proper level.
- Add the Eggs. Add the eggs to the creamed combination one by one, mixing nicely after every addition. The batter will look skinny and a bit curdled at this stage, and that’s okay.
- Add the Milk and Extracts. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and anise extract and blend till nicely mixed. The batter will nonetheless look skinny and curdled/separated.
- Add the Dry Components. Combine within the flour and baking powder till all the things combines right into a cohesive dough. Take care to not overmix.
- Kind Balls of Dough. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough to create evenly-sized cookie dough balls. Place them on the ready baking sheets. I like to make use of a cookie scoop to make sure all my cookies are the identical measurement. When you don’t have one, you need to use a tablespoon to do the identical factor.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-Quarter-hour. The cookies ought to look executed, however the bottoms ought to solely simply start to brown. I like to change the baking sheets midway via the cooking time, in order that they cook dinner evenly. When you don’t do that, the underside baking sheet might have one other minute after you are taking the highest one out.
- Cool. Enable the anise cookies to chill on the pan for a number of minutes, in order that they don’t crumble. Then, place them on a cooling rack to chill fully.
Make the Icing
- Mix the Components. Mix the powdered sugar, heavy cream, anise extract, and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Whisk the substances collectively till they’re totally mixed. If the icing appears too skinny, you’ll be able to add just a little little bit of powdered sugar. If it seems too thick, add further heavy cream.
Beautify the Cookies
- Ice the Cookies. Dip the tops of every cookie into the icing, permitting the surplus to drip off. Place them again on the cooling rack. Add your alternative of colourful sprinkles to the tops and permit the icing to completely dry.
Suggestions for Success
- Measure Flour with a Scale. You’ll discover on this recipe that I embrace each a measurement and a weight for the flour. I like to recommend utilizing a scale, so your cookies don’t find yourself dry or overly dense. When you determine to make use of a measuring cup, spoon within the flour and scrape off the highest with the flat aspect of a knife. This may assist stop over-packing.
- Make the Cookies the Similar Dimension. Measure every of your cookie dough balls, in order that they’re evenly sized. This may assist guarantee they bake evenly. In any other case, some could find yourself overdone whereas others are just a little underdone.
- Don’t fear if the Cookies Crack. Generally these cookies crack after they bake. Don’t fear about this; you’ll be able to cowl up any imperfections with the icing!
- Cool the Cookies Earlier than Icing. Let these anise cookies cool fully earlier than you add the icing. In the event that they’re nonetheless heat, the icing gained’t set and should soften off.
Different Variations to Strive
These cookies are a dream when you love the anise taste as I do. However when you’ve by no means favored it, you’ll be able to substitute the anise extract with different flavors.
- Further Vanilla. That is the simplest substitution. You’ll wind up with a extra gentle Italian cookie with beautiful hints of vanilla.
- Sub with Lemon. Including lemon extract rather than the anise will make these Christmas cookies extremely brilliant and scrumptious.
- Sub with Almond. Utilizing almond extract will make these Italian cookies style like an amaretto dream. The nutty taste works rather well with the feel of the cookie.
- Make the Substitutions Simply within the Icing or the Cookie. When you like anise however don’t love it, think about making one of many above substitutions simply within the cookie or the icing. This may nonetheless offer you a light anise taste with out it being in each parts.
Storage Directions
You’ll be able to retailer these anise cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3-4 days. The colour from the sprinkles will bleed a bit after about 24 hours. So, if you’d like the cookies to look good whenever you serve them, wait to brighten till the day of. The icing comes collectively actually rapidly and units very quickly in any respect.
You’ll be able to! Cookies freeze rather well, and anise cookies are not any exception. Organize them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them immediately within the freezer. As soon as the Italian cookies are frozen, switch them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them for as much as 3 months.
When you can freeze the anise cookies after they’re frosted, you’ll word some coloration run from the sprinkles whenever you thaw them out. If you wish to keep away from this, freeze unfrosted anise cookies and beautify them at room temperature.
Can I Freeze Anise Cookie Dough?
Anise cookie dough is 100% freezable. Roll the cookie dough per the recipe directions and place the dough balls in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place the whole cookie sheet within the freezer till the dough is frozen stable. Place the frozen cookie dough balls right into a freezer-safe bag for as much as 3 months.
Recipe
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook dinner Time: 10 minutes
Whole Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies
Class: Dessert
Technique: Oven
Delicacies: Italian
Description
Festive Anise Cookies are tender, flavorful, and have simply the correct quantity of sweetness. The savory licorice-like taste of the anise pairs fantastically with the tender cookie and candy glazed icing. These Italian Cookies will make an ideal addition to your Christmas gathering and delight your company with their distinctive taste.
Components
To Make the Anise Cookies
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (104g) granulated sugar
- 3 massive eggs
- 2 tbsp (30ml) milk (I used 2%)
- 1 tsp anise extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour (measured precisely)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Sprinkles, non-compulsory
For the Icing
- 1 1/2 cups (115g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp anise extract
Directions
To Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar collectively in a big mixer bowl on medium velocity till mild in coloration and fluffy. You need to be capable to see the change in coloration occur and realize it’s prepared.
- Add the eggs one by one, mixing nicely after every addition. The batter will find yourself skinny and curdled/separated.
- Add the milk and extracts and blend till nicely mixed. The batter will nonetheless be skinny and curdled/separated.
- Add the flour and baking powder and blend till mixed. Don’t over-mix.
- Create balls of 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough and place them on the ready baking sheet. Bake for 10-Quarter-hour or till the cookies simply look executed and simply earlier than the bottoms start to brown.
- Place the cookies on a cooling rack to chill fully.
To Make the Icing
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To make the icing, mix all the substances in a small bowl and whisk collectively till nicely mixed. If it appears too skinny, you’ll be able to add further powdered sugar. If it appears too thick, add further cream.
Beautify the Cookies
- Dip the tops of every cookie into the icing and permit the surplus to drip off. Add your alternative of sprinkles to the tops and permit them to dry.
Notes
Retailer cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3-4 days. The colour from the sprinkles will bleed a bit after about 24 hours, so if you’d like them to look good whenever you serve them you might need to ice them and add sprinkles shortly earlier than serving them.
Key phrases: Italian anise cookies, anise cookie recipe, Christmas cookies, Italian cookies
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