Susan Spungen is a celebrated cook, food stylist, recipe developer and author. This alone tells you that anything coming out from Ms Spungen’s kitchen has got to be good. This recipe has been copied many times and was showcased in the New York Times.
Anise is such an interesting spice both in flavour and looks. Star anise looks like it belongs in Avatar. As beautiful as the spice looks, it is equally intriguing because of the bold and unique scent of liquorice. When used in these buttery fingers of cookie, it adds an entirely new dimension of flavour and to some degree, texture.
Now Susan Spungen also suggests that one can use sesame seeds (black or white) or no seeds at all when making these cookies. Yes, these buttery fingers are that good!
These cookies are extremely easy to make. The cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It is important that the buttery, soft dough be chilled before rolling and baking as it will break easily if one works immediately with the dough. Besides the chill time, the actual making and baking of the cookie is very quick.
If you have whole star anise around, you can roughly grind it until it looks like freshly ground black pepper.
Far be it for me to interfere with any aspect of this gorgeous cookie, I did omit the egg white and replaced it with fresh cream. This substitution doesn’t affect the taste at all as the egg white is used as an egg wash that functions to hold the anise seeds in place, like a glue. This way the cookie becomes completely egg-free.
Ingredients for Cookies
- 2 c/255 g cake flour
- 1/3 c/45 g cornflour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 225 g soft butter
- 1/2 c/110 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white or 2 TBS cream to brush the cookie
- 2 tsps anise seeds or sesame seeds
- 1/4 c/50 g sugar for sprinkling
Method to make Cookie
- Measure out the flour, cornflour and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, measure out the butter and brown sugar and beat with an electric beater or stand mixer till light and creamy. (about 3 minutes)
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and lightly mix on low speed to combine.
- Gather the dough into a ball and divide into 2 equal parts.
- Flatten into discs and cover with plastic wrap.
- Chill discs in the fridge for 1 hour up to 3 days.
- Remove chilled dough discs from fridge and work with one at a time.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Lightly flour a flat surface and roll each disc into an oval shape about 18cm X 25cm and about 1/2 cm thick. You can also lightly dust your hands with flour and pat the dough into an oval shape.
- Use a floured fork and prick the oval discs all over.
- Transfer rolled oval discs onto some parchment paper and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from freezer once chilled and firm.
- If using egg white, lightly beat with a teaspoon of water and brush the surfaces of each rolled oval. Or use some thick cream.
- Sprinkle over the anise seeds or sesame seeds. Lightly press the seeds into the dough.
- Liberally sprinkle over the sugar.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes till a deep golden colour.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before cutting the cookie crosswise into 2 cm strips. Alternatively serve the cookie as a whole and break off pieces and eat.
