Makes 2 dozen cookies
You scarcely need cookies after a feast like this, but then what are holidays without cookies? These not-too-sweet anise shortbreads are just right with an after-dinner demitasse. Dipping them in ice water and rolling them in sugar before baking gives them an attractive crystalline finish.
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon pure anise oil, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon anise extract
1. Cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the vanilla and anise oil. Gradually stir in the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt.
2. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into balls.
3. Dip the balls in ice water and roll them in granulated sugar.
4. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, flattening them slightly.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until they just begin to color. Cool the cookies on a rack.
David Daggett is executive chef at Fox Acres, a secluded golf and country club at Red Feather Lakes, high in the Colorado Rockies. He received his training at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
Click here for the original article, Herbal Recipes for a Holiday Feast.
