Anise Focaccine Recipes

ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt butter and shortening together. Add the sugar; mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the anise extract. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture gradually. If the dough is too sticky to roll in the palm of your hand, add flour until firmer, but it should be very soft. Roll dough in small balls (these tend to really puff up with all the baking powder in them!) and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes (the bottom should be lightly browned but the tops should remain light). Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
• Next time I will be more careful with the flour, I think I added a bit too much. The tops of my cookies cracked. I also used my cookie scoop and filled it half way, which seemed to work pretty well.
• Mix milk GRADUALLY into confectioners' sugar to make a thick glaze... make sure to keep it on the thick side. Dip top of each cookie into glaze. Sprinkle with colored jimmies or nonpareils while glaze is still wet. I usually dip 10-12 cookies, return them to the wire rack (with wax paper under the racks to aid in clean up!) and then sprinkle those cookies before starting to dip more.
• I dipped and sprinkled 5 at a time, that seemed to be the magic number before the glaze would start to harden.

ANISE FOCACCINE

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together warm water and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In a dry small heavy skillet toast fennel seeds over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant and several shades darker, being careful not to burn them.
• In a large bowl whisk together 5 1/2 cups flour, salt, and pepper. Make a well in center and add yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, fennel seeds, and liqueur. Using a wooden spoon first and then your hands, blend in liquid until a dough is formed.
• On a lightly floured surface knead dough, adding flour if dough is sticky, 10 minutes, or until smooth and satiny. Put dough in a large bowl and let rise, loosely covered, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 500° F. and oil two shallow baking pans.
• In a small bowl beat together egg and 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash.
• Punch dough down and roll into 1-inch balls. Arrange fennel balls about 1-inch apart in pans and brush with egg wash. Bake fennel balls 10 minutes, or until golden, and cool.
• Just before serving, in a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and heat half of fennel rolls, stirring, 2 minutes, or until heated through. Transfer fennel rolls as heated to a basket lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and fennel rolls.

FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples. Mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread. Push sprigs of rosemary into the dimples in the dough.
• Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.