Lemon Anise Cookie Cups Food

ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• 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 @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned but the tops should remain light). Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
• Next time I will be more careful with the flour, I think I added a bit too much. The tops of my cookies cracked. I also used my cookie scoop and filled it half way, which seemed to work pretty well.
• Mix milk GRADUALLY into confectioners' 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 jimmies or nonpareils while glaze is still wet. I usually dip 10-12 cookies, return them to the wire rack (with wax paper under the racks to aid in clean up!) and then sprinkle those cookies before starting to dip more.
• I dipped and sprinkled 5 at a time, that seemed to be the magic number before the glaze would start to harden.

LEMON CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease eight (6 ounce) custard cups; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat sugar, flour and butter/margarine.
• Add lemon peel and lemon juice; set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix egg yolks and milk.
• Add to cream mixture and stir.
• Fold in egg whites.
• Pour into cups.
• Place in baking pan and add one inch of water to pan.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden.

LEMON ANISE COOKIE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Combine flour, sugar, margarine, egg white, peel, and anise in blender or food processor until smooth.
• Spray bottoms of 6 custard cups and 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray.
• Spread 1 tbs batter into 5" diameter circle on baking sheet with rubber spatula.
• Repeat to make a total of 6.
• Sprinkle 2 tsp almonds in the center of each.
• Bake 3-4 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Place cookie over bottom of prepared custard cup so almonds face inside.
• Press cookie against custard cup to form cookie cup.
• Cool.

SPICY ANISE COOKIES WITH LEMON ICING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, dark corn syrup, egg and lemon zest.
• Add butter, chocolate and anise extract; mix well. Stir in sour cream.
• Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients; stir until just combined and a ball forms.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with 2 inch cookie cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on lightly buttered cookie sheets. Bake at 350° F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks. Glaze with Lemon Icing.
• Lemon Icing: In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. To thin icing, add 1 to 2 teaspoons milk. To thicken icing, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

LEMON ANISE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add oil and extracts; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; beat into egg mixture. Beat in lemon zest and aniseed. , Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, shape each portion into a 12x2-in. rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden and tops begin to crack. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 5 minutes. , Transfer to a cutting board; cut with a serrated knife into scant 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn and bake 5-7 minutes longer or until firm and golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

ITALIAN ANISE COOKIES WITH ICING AND SPRINKLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• For cookies, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add anise extract.
• Blend flour and baking powder. Start by adding about 1/3 of these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar in your mixer, then add 1 T. milk. Add another third of the flour and another 1 T. milk. Finally, mix in enough of the remaining flour until your dough is like a brownie batter (it should be softer than a drop cookie dough).
• Use a 1 T. cookie scooper to make simple round drop cookies - use wet fingers to pat any rough edges OR for an Easter-Egg look, roll 1 T. dough into an elongated ball.
• Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (they won't be brown but the insides will be soft and cake-like).
• For icing: mix sugar, milk and extract to make a sugar glaze. HINT: When I make the icing, I make it thick but then I microwave it for 10 seconds so it is thin enough for dipping. Also, I like to divide the mixture in thirds, and then add ONE DROP of food coloring to each batch (pink, green, yellow).
• Hold cookie in your hand and turn upside down so you can dip the top half in the glaze; turn over and immediately top with sprinkles so they will stick.
• Allow icing to harden overnight; then store in air-tight containers or freeze.