Anise Drops

These cookies are amazing! I'm a huge fan of black licorice, so the anise lightly flavoring these cookies was perfect for me. Depending on how long I baked them, they came out with entirely different textures. The first two batches I baked came out lightly golden around the edges. They had the texture of vanilla wafers, only tasted much better! The last two batches I reduced the baking time one minute to try and make their appearance lighter. They were chewier than the first two batches, but the anise came through stronger. Despite the difference in textures, the cookies turned out equally delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon anise extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

2. Put the eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until eggs are fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Mix in anise extract. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a coupler or a 1/2 inch plain tip (such as an Ateco #806). Pipe 1 3/4 inch rounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1/2 inch apart.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops crack and cookies are very pale, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.