This was grandma's recipe, she always had a plate of cookies with black coffee whenever company dropped by.
A real Authentic Italian anisette cookie.
One that is a real tradition around Christmas holidays in her memory for sure.
Grandma was 94 when she passed away and there are so many recipes she made we all loved like this one.
This old-fashioned almost hard Italian cookie was our favorite dunking cookie.
I always make a double batch to have on hand when unexpected company drops by and this is just one of 25 cookies we make around the holidays.
That is the perfect combination of flavors when serving these cookies with a strong cup of black coffee and a shot of Sambuca (an anisette liqueur) like she did and Mom.
Using a shot of Sambuca was Dad's favorite way to enjoy these cookies.
The memories are great and always etched in my mind year after year, oh how I miss those days.
The 1960s were great times to be alive.
Scroll down and let's get baking and help keep Grandma's memory alive in the kitchen!
Dipped or Plain
I really love these cookies because the basic dough is so versatile.
The cookies can be adapted to whatever flavor you want to add to this dough.
These are the Traditional authentic ways to make biscotti with anisette flavoring.
Grandma and mom never made them any other way.
Authentic Anisette Biscotti
The cookies can be soft or hard, the authentic way is to bake them twice hard, but if you like them soft don't rebake them.
We like them sliced thick but there is no right or wrong, slice them thin or thick, it's really a preference.
The cookies is very versatile as you can add just about anything to the batter and still have a perfect cookie.
The cookie is very popular on Italian wedding trays and super easy to make plus they freeze well and can be made ahead of time.
Additions and Suggestions( in 2/3 of cup increments to the batter)
- chocolate chips
- pistachios or other nuts chopped if you prefer
- dried fruits chopped
- chopped maraschino cherries
- coconut
- other flavored chocolate chips, white, mint, butterscotch, peanut butter
- substitute anisette for lemon, almond, orange, and maple extracts
- Dip each end into melted chocolate and nuts
- add orange or lemon zest to the batter
Slicing the Cookies
I use a serrated knife to cut the cooled cookies at an angle.
You can use any kind of knife that cuts them clean without crumbling the cookies.
I find that sawing them works better for me but you will have to experiment with your knives on how sharp they are.
Cool them for at least 5 minutes before slicing and returning to the oven to toast.
The Batter
The batter is very thick, it shouldn't be sticky.
If you have a real sticky dough add more flour until it forms a ball.,
Also, pat the loaves in a nice loaf shape with a floured hand before baking so they will be a uniform size when slicing.
Tips
- make smaller loaves for mini cookies
- Wait a few minutes before slicing warm cookies
- Use a serrated knife for cutting keeping the cookies slightly warm
- Baked these on parchment paper for easy removal
- Watch carefully when browning and I do turn them over once
- Do not store with other cookies the anisette is very strong and will affect the others
- These freeze very well for up to 6 months
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Anisette Biscotti
scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements
- eggs
- oil
- sugar
- pure anise extract or more if you love it
- flour
- salt
- baking powder
More Recipes to Try for Cookies We Love
Banana Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Chocolate Spice Cookies
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cookies
Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread
Pin Anisette Biscotti for Later
Although authentic biscotti are twice-baked you don't have to do that step if you like soft cookies.
These cookies are fairly hard and perfect for dunking in hot coffee.
That's how we ate them in our home.
If you don't like dunking cookies, just be aware they are very hard after being toasted.
These authentic vintage anisette biscotti are a true delight to eat and serve all year long. Enjoy!
Italian Anisette Biscotti Cookies
Yield: 30
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 25 Mtotal time: 35 M
These are vintage recipe that my Italian Grandmother from Rome Italy taught us to make called Italian anisette biscotti, The cookies are fragrant with an anisette aroma and taste. Great with Italian espresso.
ingredients:
- 6 eggs ( 1 more egg beaten for later to brush on top)
- 1 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure anise extract or more if you love it
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teas salt
- 6 teaspoons of baking powder
instructions:
How to cook Italian Anisette Biscotti Cookies
- Mix all in a bowl to form a stiff dough.
- On a greased cookie sheet form two large loaves or smaller-sized loaves in the shapes of a torpedo or bread loaves.
- Brush with one beaten egg ( if you love anisette flavor add another teaspoon to the egg wash).
- Bake at 350 until brown on the bottoms and set on top of the cookie in the middle, around 25 minutes or more.
- Take out of oven cool, for 5 minutes.
- Slice cookies on a slant using a sawing motion and a serrated knife.
- Place sliced cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake again until toasted and browned on both sides in a 350-degree hot oven for around 12 minutes.
- Optional: add 6 green and 6 red chopped cherries in the batter in the last step folded in for a Christmas and a festive cookie.
- Dipped bottoms:
- At Christmas time, we like to dip the bottoms or the ends in melted chocolate. Just melt chocolate chips in the microwave for a minute at a time till smooth. Dip the ends in chocolate or the whole bottom of the cookie. You can also add sprinkles, and colored sugars for a festive look.
Calories
112
112
Fat (grams)
15
15
Sat. Fat (grams)
6
6
Carbs (grams)
11
11
Net carbs
6
6
Sugar (grams)
22
22
Pin Anisette Biscotti for Later
Here are more of our favorite cookie recipes:
Cucidati Fig Sicilian Cookies
24 One-Stop Cookie Shop
Fried Bow Tie Cookies
25 Holiday Cookies
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2019.