Traditional Italian anise cookies are quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients, including anise extract.
‘Tis the season for the cookie baking! This past weekend, my family and I had our annual Cookie Day! It’s one of my favorite Christmas traditions.
We aren’t baking your plain ‘ole boring chocolate chip cookies. Don’t go thinking that I am hating on chocolate chip cookies because we do love us some chocolate chip cookies. But those can be baked any day.
Just Take Me to the Italian Anise Cookies Already!
I get a lot of questions about my recipes from my readers! To better serve them. I like to share all of my tips and tricks with each recipe.
If you would rather skip over this info and get straight to the Italian Anise Cookies – please scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the easy printable instructions.
My family has been making these cookies for as far back as I can remember. Every year, we pick a date for cookie day, gather at my parent’s house, and roll and decorate cookies all day long. These are by far my favorite Christmas cookie. And they go great along with a tall glass of ice cold milk.
The kids have been enjoying these cookies since they were itty bitty. Just look at that face. Would it steer you wrong?
Our Favorite Christmas Cookies
Italian Anise Cookies
Thumbprints
Thumbprints are one of the most classic Christmas cookies you can bake during the holidays.
Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
These Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints are super chocolately and drenched with thick caramel!
Forgotten Cookies
Incredibly easy, this is recipe for melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies is perfect for busy bakers.
Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
A classic butter cookie recipe dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles. These chocolate dipped butter cookies are fun and delicious!
Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies
Toasted pine nuts and a splash of best-quality olive oil lend these crumbly-chewy cookies rich flavor. Rosemary adds a savory note to each bite.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Delicious and chocolatey hot chocolate cookies topped with a gooey marshmallow and a hidden melted chocolate inside!
Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies are a brown sugar cookie dough with chunks of dark chocolate and caramel. A crisp edge, chewy, gooey caramel middle with melted dark chocolate chunk cookies.
Pignoli Cookies
These Italian cookies are rolled in pine nuts (or pignoli) for a delicate flavor! Simple to make and the perfect cookies to celebrate your Christmas Holidays and all your major Holidays!
Peanut Butter Kisses
Peanut butter and chocolate come together in these great Peanut Butter Blossoms cookies!
Italian Anise Cookies
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Italian Anise Cookies
Ingredients
- For the Cookies
- 3 eggs
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons anise extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- For the Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, extract and baking powder.
- Add the vegetable oil and milk, then the flour, one cup at a time {this is important!}, until well combined.
- Roll dough into small sized balls or half moons. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms of the cookies are a light golden brown. The tops will still be pale. Be careful not to burn the bottoms!
- Remove from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Combine the icing ingredients in a bowl until just smooth. Your icing should be a little thick but still runny.
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing. Dip into sprinkles.
- Place on wax paper to dry.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 252Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 29mgSodium 113mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 1gSugar 18gProtein 4g
Looking for more recipes like this one? Check out my Good Eats Pinterest Board! Don’t forget to pin the directions for these Italian Anise Cookies so you can make it for yourself!
We make butter cookies! They rock!
Molasses Cookies
thumb prints are our favorite
Those do look yummy!
I couldn’t get organized enough this year to do a baking day with my mom and sister plus our usual day, December 8th, fell on a Saturday. Normally, since it’s a holy day, the kids have off from school, and we do our family baking then.
Thanks for sharing this at the Christmas Open House!
Peanut butter blossoms
I’m actually baking cookies right now, so that the kids can decorate when they get home from school!!
I don’t typically like than anise flavor but I would try these – they look awesome!
They look truly scrumptious! I’m not very good with cookies and tend to stick with cakes instead, but I might be brave and give this recipe a try!
I do love anise, so I bet these would be really good.
I love these cookies! They remind me of my grandma.
I love all the cookies without nuts. Love the picture with sprinkles going down his face.