Italian ANISE COOKIES makes around 70 biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits:
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1/4 cup Holsem/shortening
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. anise extract can use vanilla or lemon extract instead (see how to make your own on my website. www.kasheringyourlife.co.za)
Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp milk
Instructions
For biscuits:
- Melt butter and shortening together. Add the sugar; mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the anise extract. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture gradually. If the dough is too sticky to roll in the palm of your hand, add flour until firmer, but it should be very soft. Roll dough in small balls (these tend to really puff up with all the baking powder in them!) and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake @ 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned but the tops should remain light). Remove biscuits to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
Glaze:
- Mix milk GRADUALLY into icing sugar to make a thick glaze… make sure to keep it on the thick side. Dip top of each cookie into glaze. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles while glaze is still wet. Dip 5 biscuits, return them to the wire rack (with wax paper under the racks to aid in clean up!) and then sprinkle those biscuits before starting to dip more. More than 5 and the glaze will harden too quickly.
