Anisette Cookies for Pat's Birthday

It is Saturday when I write this.

I've been up all morning and into the afternoon baking.

You see, this is a family tradition that some good friends have had the pleasure to enjoy.  For years instead of buying something that will end up in a landfill or forgotten in a drawer, I have been baking gifts for friends and family.

This one baking stint isn't over yet, I've got more to do tomorrow.

I was going to make Fudge, but this isn't winter and it would be a mess by the time it made it to New Jersey.

So I baked the Coconut Cookies from this blog.  It makes 24 1 ounce cookies, and I am keeping 6 here for myself.  I'll have those at work.

There's more to bake tomorrow, and it won't be a surprise that it will be my own chocolate chip pecan cookies.  No, this recipe I won't share, and there are plenty recipes similar out there.   Try the internet cookie recipe it is based off of that but I have tweaked it to make it my own.

But I did get to wanting some Anisette Cookies, like when I was a wee brat.  Mom would bring these home often enough that I got to think of them as something everyone had.  Nope.

This recipe is quite similar in taste.  I will be adding a little extra Anise Extract since I enjoy a strong licorice flavor from time to time.  The taste in this recipe is "Authentic" instead of being a "Kick in the pants".  If you came from an Italian family, this is familiar.

First the ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons anise extract
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 -3 tablespoons milk

Now the Process:

• Wet ingredients - to a stand mixer, cream your butter.  
• Add the sugar and the eggs.  
• Finally add the Anise Extract.
• Hold back the milk at this time!
• All ingredients are to be added one at a time, as things incorporate.

• Mix your dry ingredients in a bowl sifting them together.  Using a sifter isn't absolutely necessary, I just tossed it in the stand mixer with all the wet stuff while it was running but you could use a fork in a big bowl if you chose to.

• Trust me it isn't fussy.

• Finally, the milk is to be added to the stand mixer one tablespoon at a time.  The ending dough will be soft and pliable, but not sticky.  Think of that play-doh you had as a kid - Modeling Clay.

• To Bake:  The resulting cookies will double in size and be rather soft inside like cake.
• Spoon out 1 level tablespoon amounts into balls on Parchment Paper spaced evenly.  
• I got 15 cookies per "regular sized" cookie sheet, and really they don't get all that big.
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C. 
• Bake the Cookies for 10 to 12 or so minutes - they will NOT get golden brown except on the bottom.
• The resulting cookies will be soft. 

Oh, and, Sorry Pat, you're only getting about 1/2 of these.  They were GOOD!