Family Baking: Italian Anise and Sugar Cookies + No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes (2024)

I have been blessed to be surrounded by a large family. I’ve always had the luxury of knowing that I was loved and had someone in my corner. Over the years I’ve lost some of the most wonderful people and would not have made it without the support of the great people in my life. Each one touching my life in such a deep and everlasting way that there are no words that can fully express what they meant to me.

Two of those who I’ve lost passed on two great cookie recipes that my family has enjoyed making for years. I remember enjoying both of my grandmothers’ cookies and looked forward to them every year. I would like to share their recipes with you in hopes they will become a favorite of yours and bring you fond memories, also.

Cookie Ingredients:
2 C All Purpose Flour 2/3 C Shortening
3/4 tsp baking powder 2 Eggs
1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp Vanilla
3/4 C Sugar

Let’s Bake!
1.Preheatoven 400 degrees F.
2. Sift dry ingredients together into large bowl.
3.Cutin shortening.
4. Addeggs & vanilla, mix well.
5.Rollout very thin on floured board and cut with a floured cookie cutter(s).
6.Place cookies onGreasedor parchment lined cookie sheet &Bakefor 9 – 12 minutes until edges are just starting to brown.Transferto arack to cool.

Icing Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Sifted Confectioners Sugar 1 Tbsp Milk
Food Coloring
​
Let’s Decorate!
1.SiftConfectioners Sugar into a bowl &Addmilk.Stiruntil smooth.
2.Divideinto separate bowls &Coloras desired.
3.Spreadicing on to cooled cookies &Addany decorations you want.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
12 – 14 CAll Purpose King Arthur Flour 2 C Milk
10 Tbls Baking Powder 1/4 C Vanilla or anise extract
2 Tbls salt 2 C Olive Oil
12 Eggs 2 C Sugar

Let’s Bake!
1.Preheatoven 375 degrees F
2. Siftflour and set aside.
2. You will need a very large bowl to make this recipe. Into it using a large sturdy spoon mixeggs, milk, vanilla or anise, oil, sugar, and salt.
3. Mixin baking powder two tablespoons at a time. Make sure that it is fully incorporated before adding the next two.
4.Stirsifted flour two cups at a time into wet ingredients. Mixing completely between each addition. Check dough after 12 cups. You should be able to roll the dough into “ropes” with floured hands.
4. If thedough is too sticky, add more flour.
6.Roll and shape pieces of dough into any shape you like.My favorite growing up was the candy cane shaped ones. Knots and S’s are also fun.
7.Place cookies ongreasedcookie sheet &bakefor 10 – 12 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown.Transferto a rack to cool.

We have always mixed these by hand.

Icing Ingredients:
1 Box of Confectioners Sugar Milk
Food Coloring Sprinkles
1⁄8 –1⁄4 teaspoon anise extract

Let’s Decorate!
1.Siftconfectioners sugar into a bowl &addmilk. I start with 1 box of sugar, anise, and 2 tablespoons milk. We love the licorice flavor that anise gives so I put1⁄4 teaspoon anise in ours.Stiruntil smooth. Then, I add a small amount of milk until it is just thin enough that I can dip the cookie tops in.
2.Divideicing into separate bowls &coloras desired.
3. While the cookies are still warm, dipthe top of each cookie intoicing &addany decorations you want. Put cookies on paper bags or wire racks until the icing sets up.

Makes 5 pounds of cookies. They freeze well!!!

This recipe is a favorite of my children. One year they ate 3 of these!

I’ve made this recipe and poured it into little mini phyllo (fillo) cups to take to parties.You can change it up by substituting the vanilla with other extracts and also caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk makes for a delicious caramel cheesecake.

Ingredients:
8 oz Cream Cheese 1/3 C Lemon Juice
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 tsp Vanilla
Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Let’s Bake!
1. Creamthe cheese until light and fluffy. When you think it’s light and fluffy do it for another minute.
2. Add the milk and mix on high until smooth.
3. Add the lemon juice and vanilla, mix again until smooth.
4. Immediatelypour into pie crust and chill at least two hours.
5. Cut and Serve with your favorite topping.

I’ve alwaysused a hand held mixer for this recipe, measured all my ingredients and had everything open and ready before starting to mix. If using a stand mixer you may need to power it down one speed so that things don’t fly out the bowl.