Anise Cookies

    

     This is a familiar recipe from my wife's family.  I honestly cannot remember having these cookies growing up.  Anise wasn't a staple in our house but I became very familiar with it while working at a Greek restaurant back in Atlanta.  You see this spice used frequently in Mediterranean cuisine, even though the plant did not originate from that area of the world.
     The first recorded appearance of this plant was in Asia.  Not long after it became a commonly traded product in the local markets, Anise made it's way into Europe, Northern Africa, and eventually North America.   
     A part of my wife's family originates from Sicily.  This is a recipe that my mother-in-law had passed down to her over the years.  My wife always loved these cookies and triggers happy memories of passed holidays so this year, she decided to get the recipe from her mom and make them herself. 
     I've tried to do a little research on the history of Anise Cookies but you can't find a lot.  It's traditional to the country of Italy, specifically Sicily.  All that I've found is that they have a long history in Sicily and that's about it.  There are a couple variations on how they originated but nothing really stands out as the actual truth.  So for now, we can live with the fact that it's an old, traditional, Italian recipe and leave it at that.
    

     Star Anise is used in savory and sweet applications.  The most common flavor application that I've used is Ouzo.  Ouzo is a Greek aperitif, for anyone that's never tried this beverage, it's extremely strong in both the alcohol content and anise flavor.  I used ouzo to deglaze my saute pans after searing cheese, or in the poaching liquid for Salmon or Halibut. 
     It was also used for medicinal purposes. Before modern medicine, it was primarily used to soothe upset stomachs or any intestinal complications. There are other medicinal applications but since this is a food blog, I'll leave that knowledge up to you if you choose to research it.
     For the sweet side, the only experience that I have with this are my wife's cookies.

     For this recipe, Lauren used Anise Extract but we had to add a lot more extract than what the recipe called for.  That's when it hit us that Anise Oil may have been the way to go.  Extracts are made with an alcohol base, which is the reason why extracts can dry out quickly if left out.  The alcohol will also take away from the flavor as well.  Oils permeate recipes thoroughly so the end result can be very strong if you're not careful.  As a matter of fact, if you haven't used flavored oils before, give it a shot and let me know what you think.
     If you have a chance to try one of these anise flavored, glazed Italian cookies, don't hesitate.  They're a great little treat. 

Family Recipe

      This is the one recipe that I make a point to have each and every year.  It's a tradition with our family and these are very delicious.  It's just the right amount of peanut butter, chocolate, and one other ingredient that I'm going to leave out.  Almost everyone loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter but add our extra flavor and this candy takes on another dimension.  Everyone has a traditional holiday dessert or candy that triggers memories and this one does that for me.
      First, we dissolve sugar in corn syrup and simmer until it's just under the thread stage using a candy thermometer as shown below.  It's very important that we constantly store the mixture so that it doesn't burn.  I like to use the thermometer to find the perfect temperature but that's not the way my mom made this candy.  She knew how long to cook it without a thermometer and it came out perfect every time.  Isn't that how it usually works?

      After the sugar mixture reaches the proper stage and consistency, we add peanut butter and fold in the cereal mixture.  It's very important that this happens quickly or it will be very difficult to spread out on the sheet pan.  While the candy base is cooling, we start the topping.  It's just a simple mixture of chocolate and....., oh yeah, I'm not telling you the other element that's in our topping.  We temper that mixture so that when it cools, it doesn't get as firm as it was in the chip form.  This step takes a while and really makes the house smell great.

     
      It's important to make sure the candy base is cooled completely or the topping will not set very well.  What's great about spreading the hot topping over the cooled candy is that the topping finds it way into all of the little nooks and crannies as seen in the end result below.  A great, chewy peanut butter candy with a sweet, delicate chocolate mixture on top.

      We also make a small amount without the chocolate topping for a couple of our family members.  I have to say though, the picture above with the topping is what makes this candy.
      Now, in case you're wondering, I will not be giving this recipe out.  I'm always happy to make some but that's about it.  As mentioned before, it's a family recipe and we just aren't ready to let go.



Time for Baking

     It's that time of year when almost every home is baking something that is only seen during the Holiday time.  Depending on what part of the world you're in will determine what you'll see made.  The options are endless, sugar cookies, quick breads, macaroons, truffles, cobblers, croissants, cakes, pies, etc. etc.  In my family, we typically made the same cookies every year.  It became a tradition for us as kids to decorate those sugar cookies with the endless varieties of sprinkles and the like. 
     For my wife and I, we do this a little differently.  There are two treats that we make each and every year.  One is the ever famous Peanut Blossoms.  You know, the peanut butter sugar cookie with a whole Hershey Kiss on top.  If you're not familiar with this, keep checking back since it will be one of my posts.  It's a great little item.  After the cookie comes out of the oven, you gently push the Hershey Kiss down into the cookie while it's still warm.  After cooling, the Hershey Kiss maintains it's shape and you're ready to enjoy.
     The other item that we make every year is a family recipe that my mom made every year for the family.  I can't have a single Christmas pass without making these bars.  Its a peanut butter rice krispie treat basically, minus the marshmallow with a chocolate butterscotch layer on top.  Some people are not fans of peanut butter but I definitely am and these bars are out of this world good. 
     I've had a few requests to bake a few items for the Holidays such as Pumpkin Ginger Bread so I decided to finally pick this blog back up and start posting these items as they're made.  I've worked some of these recipes over and over again to make sure they're spot on, especially since we've moved here to Colorado.  Baking in Colorado is much different due to the elevation and humidity levels, meaning zero.
     Keep checking back for some recipes and pictures.  Feel free to try them yourselves, that's the whole point of this page.