Italian Seed Cookies Food

ITALIAN COOKIES WITH ANISE

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.

UNCLE FRANK'S ITALIAN "S" COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, sugar, shortening, milk, eggs, baking powder, and almond extract in a bowl by hand until smooth.
• Form dough into a 1-inch thick log. Cut small portions and roll into 3-inch long pieces, then shape into "S" shapes. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times or until smooth. Divide dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a 24-in. log. Cut logs into 2-in. pieces., Place sesame seeds and milk in separate shallow bowls. Brush pieces with milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until set and bottoms are lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

BISCOTTI REGINA - SICILIAN SESAME SEED COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl stir together all-purpose flour; sugar; ammonium carbonate (or baking powder) and salt.
• Add cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Make a well in the center and add an egg, freshly grated orange zest and 3 tbsp. of milk. Stir together to form a dough. If the mixture is dry add an extra tbsp. of milk, as needed, to form a slightly tacky dough.
• Shape into a round dough, flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Prepare 2 baking sheets and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a small bowl filled with water; place sesame seeds in a second bowl.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Work with one piece of dough at a time keeping the rest wrapped. Roll into a long rope about the width of your thumb. Cut into 5 cm lengths.
• Moisten each cut piece of dough lightly with water with your fingers and roll in the sesame seeds to coat all sides.
• Place an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets as they will expand during baking. Continue with the remaining dough.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before serving.

BISCOTTI REGINA (SESAME SEED COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a mixer and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time with the mixer running and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat. Next, add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• To form the cookies, divide the dough in half and roll into logs 1-inch in diameter. Cut the logs into 3-inch lengths. Dip each piece of dough into the cream and then roll in the sesame seeds. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and place in the oven until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool and serve. These will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.