Little Aniseed Cakes Recipes

CHOMBOLINI (ITALIAN ANISE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) with shortening and dust with flour.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Mix sugar and butter in a bowl with a spoon until creamy. Mix in eggs.
• Combine orange juice and milk in a separate bowl; pour into the sugar mixture. Stir in the flour mixture, anise, and lemon extract until well combined. Fold in dates and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack for final cooling, 15 to 25 minutes.

ANISE CAKES

Steps:

• Beat eggs until light.
• Add sugar gradually, beating till creamy.
• Add vanilla; add anise oil now if using it.
• Sift flour with baking powder; add to mixture beating it well.
• If you use anise seeds instead of anise oil, add it now.
• Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets.
• Allow them to dry 12 hours or overnight.
• Bake for 12 minutes in 350 degree oven. Check to see if golden around edges. Do not allow them to get brown. Makes 50 1-1/2" cookies.
• Note: I use cooking spray or silicone sheets on cookie sheets---nothing sticks and no clean up.
• Cooking time included overnight drying time.

TOASTED ANISE-SEED CAKE SLICES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8- by 4- by 3-inch loaf pan.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together eggs and sugar in bowl of mixer at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a ribbon that takes 2 seconds to dissolve when beater is lifted, 12 to 18 minutes.
• Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 batches, folding in each batch. Gently stir in cooled butter and anise seeds. Immediately pour into loaf pan and smooth top. Bake until top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool loaf 5 minutes, then invert onto a cutting board and cool 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Trim ends of loaf and cut loaf crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Bake on a baking sheet until undersides are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Turn toasts over and bake until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes more.