Recipes: Anise Toast aka Anise Biscotti & Butter Sugar Balls

Recipes: Anise Toast aka Anise Biscotti & Butter Sugar Balls 

So on this snowy, rainy, wintery mixy day it, seemed to be a good time to do some holiday baking! Before this over predicted storm rolled in I went on a hunt for Anise seeds as they are apparently a hot commodity this time of year, my dad insists that the recent shortage is due to my blog-(harharhar dad!) According to my mom Anise seeds used to be sold by the local pharmacies this time of year but I am pretty sure Walgreen's was not going to be carrying them! Anyway, I finally found them at a local farmer's market after 3 sold out grocery stores and a Target. The amount of time spent on finding them today required me to make a recipe which called for Anise seeds.

Anise Toast was one of the recipes I chose for today. These are basically a lighter less "anisey"  Biscotti. The other recipe I chose was a clipping from my Grandmom Rose's Recipe book for Sugar Butter Balls which are sort of like a walnut or almond balls and contain no Anise they just sounded delicious!

Anise Toast

2 eggs

1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

lemon juice + rind

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 c slivered almonds

1/4 lb butter

2 tsp baking powder

anise seeds

Beat eggs until thick and light

Beat in vanilla juice & rind

Add sugar and gradually keep beating

Beat at low speed as you add 1 c flour

Mix in slivered almonds

Blend in butter

Add rest of flour and baking powder and turn out on Floured board and knead into 2 Loaves about 2" thick

Lightly oil 2 pans and sprinkle with anise seeds

Place a loaf on each have oven preheated

These did not look very promising since the batter was too wet to knead. I shaped into one loaf on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Once I put these in the oven they did not look any better. 

Luckily after about 20-25 minutes in the oven the "loaf" came out actually looking like a loaf!

Let cool until easy to handle and cut into slices

Toast in oven until golden brown

Sugar Butter Balls

1 cup of butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

5 cups flour

1 tbsp almond flavoring

1 tbsp vanilla flavoring

3/4 cup nuts chopped fine (pecans, almonds, or back walnuts)

Mix the ingredients thoroughly

Shape into balls the size of walnuts

Place on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 325 degrees in oven for 40-50 mins

Roll in confectioners' sugar while still hot and then again when cold

Note: I made 1/2 of the batter without nuts and added pecan chips to the other half

Hope you enjoy these recipes! Many more to come! 

Buon Appetito!