Swiss anise cookies have been my favorite Christmas cookies in my childhood, and I still like them a lot. The hint taste of anise and it’s crunchy texture are the key drivers who make this anise cookies to one of the favorite cookies of Switzerland. You can buy them on every corner and at every Christmas market in December. The good thing is, you can store them for a long time in a cookie box.
Anise seeds contain an essential oil which reaches his full flavor if you roast them in a pan and grind them afterward in a mortar. Furthermore, anise seeds have some potential health benefits. Ok – maybe not in combination with the sugar of this cookies ?
These Swiss anise cookies are perfect if you love to cut different Christmas cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Also great to press some words, the name of your family member or better half ? into the cookie. As they first have to dry for 24 hours at room temperature, you will see the written part very clearly after baking. See an example of what my little sister did for me in the image below; she made me a heart with my blog name. Isn’t that lovely of her? Yes, we did the dough together and had a fantastic evening cutting out some cookies and decorate them ❤
Swiss Anise Cookies | ~ 30-40 Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 200 g confectioner's sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1.5 tbsp anise seeds
- 2 tbsp kirsch
- 150 g all-purpose flour, type 405
- 100 g spelt flour, Dinkelmehl
Instructions
- Roast the anise seeds in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. When they start to smell (you will notice as it is quite a unique smell), take them off the heat and grind them in a mortar. Set aside. This procedure helps that the anise seeds release their essential oil to unfold their full aroma.
- Beat the eggs, confectioner's sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl using an electric mixer until white and fluffy.
- Add the roasted and grinded anise seeds and two tablespoons of kirsch and mix until well combined.
- Then add the flour and mix until well combined. Now, don't lose any time and start to cut out your anise cookies. If you wait too long, your dough will start to harden and it will be difficult to proceed with it.
- Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Clean your working surface very well and flour it well with all-purpose flour (don't be sparing, the more flour, the less your cookies will stick on your working surface).
- Place your dough on the well-floured working surface and roll out to 1cm thick.
- Use your preferred cookie cutters to cut out the anise cookies and place them on the lined baking sheets.
- Knead the dough trimmings again together and proceed with step 6-8 until all remaining dough is used.
- Let your cookies chill for 24 hours at room temperature.
- Bake your anise cookies in the preheated oven (150°C / 300°F conventional) for 15 minutes with the door slightly open.
- Take them out and let cool down on a rack. I prefer to eat them straight away from the oven, but you can store your cookies for about two weeks in a cookie box.
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