Anise Seed Cookies
Cream:
3 cups shortening or butter [2 cups, one each of shortening and butter]
1½ cups sugar [1 cup]
Add and mix:
3 eggs, beaten [2 eggs]
Mix in:
1 tsp. salt [1/4 tsp.]
5 cups flour [4 to 4 ½ cups]
6 tsp. anise seed [4 tsp.]
1 tsp. anise extract, optional [1 tsp.]
Make different shapes including balls, pretzels, or doughnuts. Dip cookies in cinnamon sugar if desired. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Also called Biscochuelos or Mexican Holiday Cookies. The amounts in brackets make a smaller batch that holds up well to being shaped.
These were my favorite cookies when I was little. I loved to roll the dough into the shape of letters. I hadn't made these cookies in years and when I saw that they took 3 cups of shortening/butter I about died! However, I quickly realized that this is a huge recipe (5 cups of flour). I made the smaller batch and it still made 6 dozen cookies. I roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar to get a classic Biscochuelos cookie.
What good memories! It was fun to make shapes and letters out of these cookies!
ReplyDeleteWhen you cut the recipe down did you leave the flour amount the same?
I actually reduced the flour to about 4- 4 1/2 cups. I went more by the consistency of the dough. They were a little sticky but you could definitely roll them into shapes.
ReplyDeleteI love how "desserts" is the biggest word in the label list on the side. But at least vegetable is also close behind . . .
ReplyDelete