Mexican Christmas Cookies With Anise Food

ANISE SEED BORRACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• Place the anise seeds in a small bowl with the rum. Set aside to marinate overnight.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the anise seed and rum. Mix in the egg. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cloves; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

TRADITIONAL MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
• Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts.
• Chill dough if it seems too soft.
• Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks.
• Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature.
• NOTE: Forming dough into 1" balls will increase yield to 48 cookies.

BIZCOCHITOS (MEXICAN ANISE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Cream margarine; gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine cake flour, aniseed, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture, stirring until well-blended. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a ball, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Freeze 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 d F. Remove one portion of dough from freezer; remove plastic wrap. Roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter. Place on baking sheets. Combine 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cookies. Bake at 350 d F for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheets immediately; cool on wire racks. Repeat procedure with remaining portion of dough. Store in an airtight container.
• Note: Time does not include chill time of dough.

TRADITIONAL MEXICAN ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream 1 cup sugar, butter and shortening in a large bowl til light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg, sherry vanilla and anise til well combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt; stir into butter-egg mixture til well mixed.
• Divide dough in half.
• Wrap each half in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or til dough is firm, but is still quite workable.
• Preheat oven to 350' degrees F.
• Combine cinnamon with remaining sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of dough 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut into desired shapes, re-rolling scraps just once.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or til golden.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.

ORANGE-ANISE BIZCOCHITOS (MEXICAN ORANGE-ANISE COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat shortening and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice and beat just until combined.
• In a medium bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour, anise seeds, baking powder, and salt. Add to shortening mixture, stir to mix, then beat well until well blended. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll one disk at a time to about 1/8-inch thick. With floured (2 to 2 1/2-inch) cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes and place about 1-inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake cookies at 350°F just until edges are golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

TRADITIONAL ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• With a Kitchenaid mixer: beat eggs 20 minutes with 2 cups of granulated sugar (yes I mean 20 minutes as this is what will make the cookies light as a feather with a crisp melt in you mouth top crust).
• Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tsp anise oil and blend well.
• Drop by tablespoonsful onto greased cookie sheets and let stand in a draft free place overnight.
• Bake in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes until light golden but do not brown.
• Cool on baking racks thoroughly before storing.
• Store in a tightly covered cookie tin (not plastic).
• The longer you let the cookie age, the better it will be.

ANISE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, aniseed, salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Shape into 1-in. balls; place on greased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar., Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks. If desired, decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles.

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.

VEGAN ITALIAN ANISE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix ground flax and water in a bowl; let sit until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and ground anise seeds in a bowl; mix until well combined. Add flax mixture, almond butter, brown sugar, and anise extract; mix well until a soft dough forms. Shape into 2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten balls lightly with your hand.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bottom is lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

ANISE BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice concentrate and aniseed. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over cookies. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

GERMAN ANISE CHRISTMAS COOKIES (SPRINGERLE)

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside. In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until thick and light. Stir in the lemon zest and ground anise. Add the flour mixture, mix well. Cover and chill dough for about an hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Traditionally, you would roll over the dough with a springerle rolling pin, but the dough can be cut into small shapes of any kind. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets, sprinkle with anise seed and leave out uncovered, overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes.