July 2nd is National Anisette Day- if you’re not familiar with Anisette, it’s a sweet, colorless anise-flavored liqueur that is frequently consumed in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Originally, anisette was created as a lighter replacement for it’s considerably more potent counterpart, absinthe. Here’s a recipe for making your own Anisette Liqueur as well as a non-alcoholic Italian Anisette Cookie recipe to celebrate . . .
You’ll Need:
1.5 Tablespoons of Anise Extract
1/2 c. Honey
2 1/2 c. Vodka
Dissolve the honey in 1 cup of the vodka, stirring well. Add the anise extract to the remaining (unsweetened) vodka until well blended, then combine the 2 in a bottle. Seal and shake well to combine. A mason jar works great to combine the flavors well.
This is a tasty copycat Sambuca (aka Anisette) recipe.
If you’d prefer a Non-alcoholic way to celebrate National Anisette Day, here is a delicious Italian Anisette Cookie recipe:
You’ll Need:
Cookie Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon anise extract
Icing Ingredients:
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
Preheat the oven 375F
Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bow, mixing well. Make a well in the center of the mix, add oil, milk, anise extract and eggs. Stir well until the dough is sticky. Lightly oil your fingers and pinch off the dough in 1 inch balls/pieces, placing them on a lightly greased cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Bake for 8 minutes. While the cookies are baking prepare an icing by combining the icing ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Set aside and allow the flavors to marry while the cookies bake. Cool the cookies for about 10-15 minutes prior to glazing.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / karandaev
Anisette reminds me of my Italian grandma—she’d sneak it into her coffee and claim it was ‘just for flavor.’ 😏 Anyone ever baked with it? I’m thinking about adding a splash to biscotti dough!