Good Italian Anise Christmas Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Italian cookie? ›

Sugar cookies, to me, should have a buttery dryness to them, but crumble easily. I've used shortbread cookie dough to make decorated sugar cookies and they turn out great. They're rigid enough to survive handling, but have a nice buttery chew.

However, it was in Germany, more precisely Stuttgart, where these anise moulded cookies, also known as Spingerle, originated. According to the Kulinarisches Erbe, they were initially popular in the north of Switzerland, especially in Basel, where something similar has been made sine the 17th century.

Amaretti cookies are a celebrated Italian classic known for their unique crunchy exterior and soft, almond-rich center. Often flavored with amaretto or almond extract, they offer a delightful taste experience. Amaretti di Saronno cookies come with an enchanting legend: Roll the cookie's wrapper.

Biscotti Amaretti is the most famous Italian cookie of all. Made without flour or any added fat this almond macaroon is light, crunchy and intensely almond.

Anise is always the main ingredient, and the liqueur also must meet minimum sugar (350 g/L), alcohol (38% abv) and anethole (anise aroma) content requirements. By comparison, anisette (sometimes seen as anisetta), is also an anise distillate, but it can be made with other ingredients in addition to anise.

Anise Flavor Profile and Characteristics

Although anise seeds look a lot like fennel seeds, they are significantly smaller. Anise is known for its natural sweetness and unmistakable licorice flavor. Anise has a similar aroma and taste profile to licorice root, fennel, star anise, and caraway.

The Bottom Line. Anise seed is a powerful plant that is rich in many nutrients and boasts a wide array of health benefits. It has anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and may fight stomach ulcers, keep blood sugar levels in check and reduce symptoms of depression and menopause.

Should you refrigerate sugar cookie dough before baking? ›

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

Eating foods rich in iron, like anise seed, can keep your blood healthy and reduce your risk of iron deficiency anemia. Several studies have shown that anise seed can reduce the symptoms of clinical depression. In mice, anise relieved symptoms of depression as effectively as two commonly used antidepressants.

Wrong oven temperature

Bad move! Always make sure the oven is preheated to the stated time in your recipe. With that said, the same applies to a too-hot oven. An oven that's too hot will melt the butter right out of the cookie and there you have it, A BIG FLAT COOKIE!

Their similar licorice-like flavor makes these two natural substitutes for each other. However, because star anise has a much stronger flavor, you'll need to halve the amount when substituting it for anise seed. Likewise, use twice as much anise seed when substituting for star anise.

This is the proper name for the biscuit we know as biscotti, which in Italian just means “cookies.” Twice-baked and sliced, these ultra-crunchy, not-too-sweet biscuits are usually studded with nuts and simply beg to be dipped in coffee, tea, or a glass of vin santo.

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

Traditional and Artisanal Brands like Lazzaroni, Sapori, Dolciaria Monardo, Chiostro di Saronno, or Corsini are known for their traditional Italian recipes and artisanal cookie-making approach. They often focus on classic Italian cookie names (think of Amaretti, Cantucci).