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Easy Italian Anise Cookies

An Italian anise cookie with a glaze displayed with a bite taken out of it.
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5 from 7 reviews

Dense and moist, these Italian Anise Cookies are an easy-to-make classic Christmas cookie. The cookie dough, flavored with anise extract is made with just a bowl and a spoon, and decorated with a simple glaze and sprinkles.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup (70 grams) light olive oil
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon anise extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1-½ cups (180 grams) all purpose flour (see notes for gluten-free)
  • ¾ cup (75 grams) almond flour
  • 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, very softened
  • 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
  • Sugar or sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together granulated sugar, egg, olive oil, anise extract, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl until well combined, and the mixture has lightened in color.
  3. Add in all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder and mix together with a sturdy spoon until the dough is combined.
  4. Roll dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons in size) and place on a baking sheet about 1-½ inches apart.
  5. Bake on the center rack for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies have just started to puff and slightly crack.
  6. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
  7. Add powdered sugar, softened butter and 2 tablespoons of milk to a bowl and whisk together until very creamy and smooth, about the consistency of thick heavy cream. If the glaze is too thick, add in another tablespoon of milk.
  8. Once cookies are cooled, dip the tops into the glaze and let the excess drop off. Top with decorative sugar or sprinkles. Let the glaze set before transferring to an air-tight container until ready to serve.

Notes

This dough is stiff. You’ll need a little bit of arm muscle to get it to come together, or alternatively you could use a stand mixer to do the work for you. Just be careful not to overmix the dough.

For gluten-free, use a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Gluten-free Flour) and add 2 tablespoons milk to the wet ingredients. The cookie dough should chill in the freezer for 15 minutes, or 30 minutes in the refrigerator, before scooping for baking. The cookies will be slightly flatter than traditional cookies.

Do not let the cookies sit uncovered for more than 6 hours or so. They are prone to hardening when left at room temperature outside of an air-tight container.

Cookies will keep in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. Undecorated cookies can be frozen fully baked for 1 month. I do not recommend freezing the cookie batter.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/easy-anise-cookies/