These are a favorite in my house around the holidays and they’re just the kind of cookie you’d savor with a cup of tea or coffee. On the cakey side, they’re sweet with a hint of anise.
Cookie Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup butter
2 teaspoons anise, almond or vanilla extract. (Or you can blend. I’ve used a teaspoon of almond with a teaspoon of vanilla, or combined anise and vanilla.)
3 1⁄2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
Glaze:
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 teaspoons water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and add vanilla, then pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix. I use a stand mixer, but whatever your method, add the dry ingredients a half cup at a time.
Turn out the dough on a floured board or silicon baking mat. Gently knead for a minute or two, adding flour as needed to keep dough from sticking to hands.
Pinch off dough, roll in your hands to form a log and then twirl into shape. Place on greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Combine the last 3 ingredients to make a creamy icing:
Dip cookies into icing.
Place dipped cookies on a wire rack with wax paper on counter to collect the dripping icing, then add sprinkles.
