As I almost always do, I look around my kitchen for the first ingredient for my cookies. Sitting on my island was a gorgeous navel orange that looked soooo good. So I started thinking about flavors that would complement the flavor of orange for my shortbread cookie.
I often look online to see what other people pair with certain flavors, and I found anise that came up quite a few times with orange, so I thought that might be a great combination. I found a good article on the benefits of anise from Healthline. The article is called 7 Health Benefits and Uses of Anise Seed.
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Ingredients
- Butter unsalted
- Powdered sugar
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Anise extract
- Anise seeds (Link to Amazon)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher Salt
- Mini chocolate chips
Many of you have never tasted anise; you might wonder what it tastes like. McCormick actually has a page on their site called Flavor Story: Anise Seed. This is a quick read but very informative.
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
I love shortbread cookies, but I really love them the next day. They become so buttery and all the flavors just seem to come together.
Prep Work
I always try to get all the ingredients measured or weighed, so all I have to do is add it to my mixer bowl. Starting with the powdered sugar, I weigh (you can measure if you do not have a scale) it into a small bowl.
In a large bowl, I weigh the flour, then add the baking powder and salt. I run a whisk through the flour mixture to blend.
I have a cheap juicer I got from the grocery store ages ago that is still my go to for juicing oranges and lemons. So, I zest the orange first, then I cut it in half and juice it.
Next, the anise seeds are not big, but you still want to crush them to release all of their flavors. I used a mortar and pestle, but if you do not have one, there are alternative ways.
Add the seeds to a strong baggie and smash the seeds with:
- a rolling pin
- a saucepan
- a small mallet
- whatever you have that is solid and flat
I also have a Vitamix that has a spice and seed cup for grinding that I use if I have a larger amount.
Mix the Cookie Dough
I like to cube my butter to tell how soft it is. You want it to cut easily and not be too firm. I mix this for about a minute on a medium mixer speed.
It should look creamy and with soft looking peaks. I scrape it down before adding the powdered sugar.
After adding the powdered sugar, start the mixer at a slow speed until the sugar is incorporated, then turn it to a medium mixer speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Now add the orange juice and the zest. Also, add the crushed anise seeds and the anise extract and blend them altogether. Turn the mixer to a slow speed and add the flour mixture about a third at a time.
Finally, scrape down the cookie dough and make sure you have the flour at the bottom of the mixer bowl incorporated into the dough. Then add the mini chocolate chips and mix for about 15 seconds.
Roll and Chill
I flour my silicone pastry mat before adding the cookie dough. I add a little flour on top and roll it back and forth to get a log shape. Try not to add too much flour. You don't want the final cookies to taste like flour. Just enough so it is not sticky and can be formed into a log.
Shape the cookie dough into a log shape. About 16 inches long. The diameter will be about 2 inches.
Wrap the log in plastic wrap. You can also even and shape the log more after it is wrapped in the plastic by rolling it back and forth.
I use a baguette pan to help keep the log a round shape. This pan is 16 inches long, so it fits my log nicely. If you do not have the metal pan, you can take the center cardboard roll for a paper towel roll and cut it lengthwise in half. The cardboard halves are only 12 inches long, so just overlap the cardboard so it looks like one long one.
Refrigerate the log for at least 1 hour. I usually do mine the day before and slice and bake them the next day.
Slice and Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
Take the cookie log out of the refrigerator and put it on a cutting board. I like to score the log before I commit to slicing the cookies. I did about ½ inch per cookie, but you can make them thicker but you may need to adjust the baking time just a little.
I laid 15 slices onto a prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 10-12 minutes. I got 30 cookies from the one log.
Once out of the oven, I leave them on the pan for a minute to set before moving them to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
Even though they have the same name, they are not quite the same thing. But they both have the licorice flavor. You can grind the star anise up and use equal substitution for amounts. Example ½ teaspoon ground anise seeds to ½ teaspoon of ground star anise.
I always love my shortbread cookies the next day. I store them in an airtight container and with a note on top of the container, to not touch them until tomorrow. Of course, that does not work, but it is worth a try.
Other Shortbread Cookies
Recipe
Shortbread Cookies with Orange Anise and Chocolate Chips
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ⅔ cup (80 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Orange juice fresh
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Orange zest
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Anise extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) crushed Anise seeds
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ½ cup (90 g) Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Juice and zest the orange. The anise seeds can be put into a plastic zip-lock bag and pound into tiny pieces. I have a Vitamix with a small cup grinder that you can use to grind up spices, nuts or seeds. You could also use a mortar and pestle to crush your anise seeds. Whichever way you crush the seeds, try to get the seeds as small as you can.
- Weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set it aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and salt. I run a whisk through to blend.
- Using a stand or hand-held mixer, add the butter and beat the butter until it is light in color and creamy looking. I use a medium mixer speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer back to a low setting, and slowly add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Then, turn the mixer to a medium speed and blend for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl again, then add the orange juice, orange zest, anise extract, anise crushed seeds and blend. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and gradually add the flour mixture. After the flour is incorporated, I give it one more scrape down the sides and add the chocolate chips. I only mix them for about 15 seconds.
- Sprinkle flour onto a hard surface or a pastry mat. Add the cookie dough and shape into a log. I made mine about 16 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Don't worry if the log is a little uneven in thickness, you can even it out after it is wrapped.
- Next, you want to wrap the cookie dough roll with plastic wrap. Wrap the roll using the long side of the plastic wrap piece; you want to fold the plastic under the ends so they do not dry out in the refrigerator. Slip the paper towel molds (example above) under the wrapped cookie log or use the baguette pan. Put in the refrigerator for at least one hour. I made my cookie dough the one day, then sliced and baked the cookies the next day.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C), and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Unwrap the cookie log, and I score the top of the roll and try to get even slices of about ½" thick. These do not spread hardly at all so I get 15 cookie per sheet pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave the cookies on the pan once out of the oven for a minute, then move them to a cooling rack.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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