I hate Anisette Cookies with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns.
Yeah, I said it. A food blogger started off her own blog post by saying “I hate these cookies.”
However, my husband adores them. He loves whenever I make them. #TheThingsWeDoForLove
He can’t get enough of all things anisette, anise, or licorice. If you’re anything like him, then YOU’RE WELCOME for this recipe.
If you don’t like licorice or anise….
I’m gonna be frank with you – if you don’t like the flavor of anise, you can skip right over this post. There’s nothing here for you. I wish you well and will see you next week. *waves*
For the rest of you, I’m going to channel my best Mr Tart and talk to you about why you HAVE to make these Anisette Cookies.
Given that I loathe anise extract, I’m also loathe to admit that… these Anisette Cookies made my kitchen smell pretty darn amazing.
Mid-scoop on Batch #2, I was having flashbacks to the little Italian bakery I loved as a kid.
I’d wait on line with my parents at Christmas or Easter or, y’know, a random Tuesday, and the air would be filled with heavenly smells of yeast and sugar and rum and, yes, anisette.
Why are Italian Anisette Cookies the book-inspired recipe for The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice?
Anisette cookies are a very Italian dessert. Like, if you’re at a bakery and there’s not something made with anise extract there, then you’re not at a (good) Italian bakery.
This is why Anisette Cookies are the perfect book-inspired recipe for The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice. They’re the star of the book’s Italian Bellaluna Bakery, for their incredible taste as much as their incredible magical powers.
Why Mr Tart loves Anisette Cookies
While I barely nibbled at these cookies, my husband scarfed down four after this photo shoot was finished. Then he had a few more for dessert that night.
And the next night, and the next, because this recipe makes, like, 4 dozen cookies, and I want nothing to do with them.
Anisette Cookies freeze very well, btw.
When it comes to texture, these cookies can’t be beat. They bake up soft and tender, like airy little clouds.
Then you got the anise-flavored glaze on top, which creates a thick, sugary shell that crackles when you take a bite.
And, well, even I can get behind the rainbow sprinkles on top.
Alternatives to Anisette Cookies: A Public Service Announcement
If you hate licorice and you still stayed to read this entire post – first of all, thank you.
Secondly, I’ve realized that you could swap out the anise extract in this recipe for something else.
Like, you could use vanilla extract, or lemon (oooh, they would be like these cookies!), orange, or almond. ANYTHING BUT ANISE to make them palatable for you.
But if you’re looking for anisette overload, look no further than the Anisette Cookies recipe down below.
What should I serve with Anisette Cookies?
Anisette Cookies taste best after a hearty Italian meal. Serve up an appetizer of Chilled Seafood Salad, then move on to a hearty main course of Chicken Saltimbocca with a side of Caprese Farro Salad, Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing, or Sunday Night Chicken and Pasta Dinner.
Create a cookie platter for dessert that features other bakery-inspired desserts like Lemon Sprinkle Cookies, Jam Thumbprints, and Spiced Walnut Cookies.
Authentic Anisette Cookies
Ingredients
Anisette Cookie Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp anise extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
Anisette Glaze Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp anise extract
- 2-3 tbsp warm water
- rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
ANISETTE GLAZE INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the glaze before baking the cookies because you'll need it as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the anise extract; mixture will still be clumpy.
- Add the warm water, a half-tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick, smooth, white icing. Set aside.
ANISETTE COOKIE BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, 1 tbsp anise extract, milk, and eggs until mixture is pale yellow and smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then stir to form a wet, sticky lump of dough. Make sure all the flour has been incorporated.
- Use your hands to roll 1-inch pieces of dough into small balls. Place anisette cookies on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies don't spread much, so you can put down 9 balls per baking sheet.
- Bake at 375F for 8-9 minutes. The cookies will puff up as they bake but will remain pale. You do NOT want the cookies to turn brown on the top or around the edges.
- Remove anisette cookies from oven and transfer immediately to a cooling rack. Give your prepared anisette glaze a stir to loosen it up.
- After a few minutes, while the cookies are still warm but cool enough for you to handle, dip the top of each cookie in the glaze.
- Turn the cookie glaze-side up and place back on the cooling rack, then sprinkle with the rainbow nonpareils. The glaze will set quickly as the cookies cool.
- Let anisette cookies cool completely before seving.
