Italian Anise Cookies Recipe at The Little Shop of Olive Oils

Italian Anise Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup Butter Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon anise extract (You can always substitute almond, lemon, or vanilla extract if you’re not a big fan of licorice flavor)

Glaze:

  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon anise extract (or again, substitute a different extract for your preferred flavor)
  • Multicolored nonpareils (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 375º Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease cookie sheets.)
  • Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour combination and add olive oil, milk, eggs, and 1 tablespoon anise extract; mix together to form a workable dough.  Roll dough into walnut sized balls, flatten slightly, and place 1” apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, approximately 8 minutes. (The bottom of the cookies should be lightly browned, but the tops should remain light. Don’t overbake!)
  • Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
  • Mix milk gradually into confectioners’ sugar to make a thick glaze, and make sure to keep it on the thick side.
  • Dip the top of each cookie into glaze. (Usually, I’ll try to dip 5 cookies one right after the other.)  Return to wire rack with wax paper underneath to aid in cleanup.  Then sprinkle those cookies with nonpareils while glaze is still wet before starting to dip more.
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