Family traditions are very important to me. Like glue they have the ability to attach one generation to the next. Maybe, that's why I was so excited when one Christmas my mother-in-law put together a cook book for each of her daughter-in-laws.
One of the recipes was her mother-in-law’s:
Anise Cookies
3 cups sifted flour 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/4 lb. butter 1/4 cup anise seeds 1/2 tsp. soda 1/8 cup water
Soak anise seeds in 1/8 cup water with soda for about 30 minutes. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat. Fold in flour. Stir in soda-anise seed-water mixture. Chill over night. Roll as thin as possible on floured board then using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400ºF until light brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
A funny story also came with the recipes: My father-in-law would complain, “These don’t taste like Mother’s.” For years my mother-in-law thought she had faithfully followed the recipe, but discovered she had been leaving out the butter.
At Christmas time, I like to put together containers of homemade cookies for gifts. The Anise Cookies get the most comments; e.g., “I haven’t had these for years...” and “May I have the recipe?”
At first, I was reluctant to share it, but recently it was submitted to a neighborhood cookbook so the secret is out... and now, you have it also! Enjoy!
