Italian Anise Cookies Recipe
These classic Italian Anise Cookies will have you eating 1 and wanting more. Trust me. Each cookie is soft, tender and baked to light golden brown. Once baked they’re dipped in a simple vanilla icing and rainbow sprinkles are added on top. From start to finish these cookies will take 30 minutes as you don’t need to chill the dough. The recipe makes 18 cookies, but you can easily double or triple the recipe if you want to make more.
What flavor is Anise?
How to Soften Butter
This recipe requires softened butter, not melted. I basically never have room temperature butter so I thought I’d share how I quickly soften it.
Remove butter from the refrigerator, place in microwave safe bowl (ideally the bowl you’re going to make the cookie batter in for less dishes) and microwave for 15-20 seconds or until softened. Monitor the butter in the microwave and stop it as soon as you see it start to melt.
How to Make Italian Anise Cookies
In a large mixing bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs, vanilla extract and anise extract and continue to mix.
In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt together.
Slowly mix the flour mixture into the wet mixture. The dough will feel sticky and wet and that’s totally what we want so don’t worry about it!
Grab a piece of dough, about 1 1/2 tablespoon big and roll into a ball. For reference, this should be about the size of a ping pong ball. Tip: If the dough is too sticky to handle, rub flour on your hands first, this will make handling the dough much easier.
Now roll the dough between your fingers and hands out into a long rope, about 6 inches long.
Shape into a figure “8” (my daughter calls these “8 cookies” hah), connecting the edges.
Continue until all the cookies are shaped and placed on baking sheets. (These are my favorite baking sheets and silicone baking mats).
Bake for about 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
Now on to the icing…!
Move Quickly with Icing Glaze
The icing on these cookies dries very fast so here’s my suggestions to make it easy!
While the cookies are baking prepare the icing so it’s ready to go. Place the icing in a shallow bowl or plate, something that you can easily dip a cookie into.
Only allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes when you pull them out from the oven. We still want them warm for the icing.
Dip a cookie into the icing and then immediately add sprinkles (I love this big container of sprinkles). You can do this one cookie at a time, or a couple, but DON’T dip every cookie and think the icing will still be wet when you’re done. It won’t be, it will be dry and your sprinkles won’t stick to it!
Continue until all the cookies have icing and sprinkles on.
Allow the icing to fully dry before moving ahead to store them. (directions below).
How to Store Italian Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container or in a sealable plastic bag. Cookies last about 4-5 days.
Make them for Christmas
These are a classic cookie for the holidays and can easily be tweaked for your Christmas cookie box. Instead of rainbow sprinkles add red, green and white sprinkles and nonpareils. These make a perfect gift for friends and family too!
More Desserts with Sprinkles Recipes:
Cake Batter Granola BarsConfetti Cake Batter BrowniesSprinkled Butter CookiesSprinkle Birthday Cake MuffinsSmall Birthday CakeFunfetti Sprinkle Sugar Cookie BitesRed Velvet Cookies with Frosting
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