I only remember my grandmother making My Favorite Anise Drop Cookies once during childhood, but I have been thinking about them for decades. Over the years I have attempted other versions hoping they would be similar, one my mom thought was the one. Still, it wasn’t until I flipped through grandma’s handwritten recipes looking for cookie inspiration that I realized it had been there waiting for me all along.
Why I Love My Favorite Anise Drop Cookies
Nostalgia wins for me here…that taste memory I have been hunting for years and years. These cookies are chewy in just the right way, almost sticking to your teeth but not quite…one part candy, one part cookie…they are subtly licorice-y, but also sweet. Anise mellows when you cook it and becomes soft and luscious.
Make It Your Own
If you aren’t a black licorice fan (you should be), you could sub the anise for other herbaceous flavors:
- whole fennel seed
- star anise
- cardamom
- mace
- nutmeg
- cloves (cut way back on the quantity)
Things You Need From Your Pantry
- ap flour
- brown sugar
- eggs
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- powder sugar
Things You May Need To Grab From The Store
- anise seed
My grandmother’s recipes tend to yield enough to feed the entire Eastern half of the country, so I have scaled this down to a reasonable quantity. These cookies are best eaten within a few days and not frozen. Anise seed is a digestive, so they should obviously be consumed after every meal to aid in digestion.
My Favorite Anise Drop Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy2
dozen15
minutes8
minutesThe easiest, tastiest anise drop cookie you could ask for.
Ingredients
2 eggs, large, room temperature
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 anise seed, roughly pounded in a mortar & pestle
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the sugar and eggs until the consistency is smooth and does not look grainy. Add the baking soda dissolved in hot water and mix to combine.
- Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer off add to the egg & sugar mixture. Turn the mixer on low and slowly incorporate. With the mixer running add the crushed anise seed. Stop the mixer as soon as the flour is combined. It is ok if there are still specks of flour showing.
- Place the sifted powdered sugar in a bowl, drop 1 Tablespoon scoops of dough, roll around to coat in sugar, and form a ball. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cooking sheets.
- Bake now sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through. When the cookies are done they will be puffed, doubled in width, and the powdered sugar will give it a crackling appearance. Very light browning should be noticeable around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Eat within 3-5 days.
