Why did my anise cookie glaze turn sticky and never set?

The glaze was too thin, or the cookies were still warm when dipped. The glaze should coat a spoon opaquely and smooth out its trail in a few seconds. Dip only fully cooled cookies and give them at least 2 undisturbed hours before stacking.

Why did my anise cookies spread flat instead of puffing?

Check the baking powder first: this recipe leans on a full tablespoon, and old powder will not lift the dough. Warm butter also melts the dough early. Use butter that is soft but still cool to the touch, and roll with damp, cool hands.

Can I use anise seeds instead of anise extract?

You can, but the flavor lands differently: seeds give small bursts rather than an even perfume. Grind 2 teaspoons of seeds very fine and add them with the flour, and keep a little extract in the glaze so the cookie still smells like itself.

How do I stop sprinkles from bleeding into the glaze?

Use nonpareils rather than jimmies, sprinkle the second the cookie leaves the glaze, and do not close the tin until the glaze is fully dry. Sprinkles added to a half dried glaze slide and bleed; on wet glaze they set cleanly.

How far ahead can I bake Italian anise cookies for an exchange?

The glazed cookies keep 2 weeks in their own tin, so a week ahead is comfortable. For the freshest crumb, freeze the baked cookies unglazed and dip them the day before the exchange.

Italian Anise Cookies, Soft And Glazed With Sprinkles

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 cups powdered sugar (240 g), sifted
3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk, for the glaze
1/2 teaspoon anise extract, for the glaze
3 tablespoons rainbow nonpareils

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
Beat the butter and granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the anise extract and the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the 2 tablespoons of milk, and mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
With lightly damp hands, roll the dough into balls of about 1 tablespoon each and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, about 36 balls.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway, until the tops are set and dry and the bottoms are pale gold. Do not let the tops brown.
Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack and cool completely before glazing.
Whisk the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, and the glaze anise extract in a wide bowl until smooth. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon and smooth out its own trail within a few seconds.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, let the excess drip back into the bowl, and return the cookie to the rack set over parchment. Sprinkle with nonpareils immediately, while the glaze is wet.
Let the glazed cookies dry undisturbed for at least 2 hours, until the glaze is fully hard, before stacking or boxing them.

Author: Chef Rita
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 105
Sodium: 75
Saturated Fat: 2
Protein: 2
Cholesterol: 20