Lebanese Anise Cookies

5 from 6 votes

This Lebanese Anise Cookies recipe is a Middle Eastern spiced cookie traditionally made during Eid al-Fitr and Easter. Also called Ka'ak il Eid, these cookies are crisp, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings cookies

Calories 146kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon anise seed yansoon
1 tablespoon ka’ak spice blend
1 teaspoon yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter melted
¾ cup milk warm

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, anise seed, ka’ak spice blend, yeast and salt. Add the melted butter and milk, stir with a silicone spatula until well combined and continue to mix until the dough becomes soft and smooth. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of the batter and set on the prepared baking sheets. Roll into a ball and then rub with both hands to form a long rope about 6 inches long. Squeeze both ends of the rope together to form a ring and set back on parchment paper.
Bake in the preheated oven until slightly puffed, firm and golden brown, about 20 minutes
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Store the anise sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature in a dark place away from direct sunlight for up to 1 week.

Tips:

Measure evenly. Cookies look best when they are uniform in shape and size. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out helps achieve this.

Chill the dough. Chilled dough makes shaping cookies easier. After the initial rise and when you've portioned out the cookie dough, cover them with plastic wrap and pop them into the fridge to chill for a few minutes. It'll make forming them into rings easier.

Use fresh ingredients. Check the expiration dates on your spices and make sure your yeast is active.

Cool completely. Allow the cookies to cool completely on wire racks before serving or storing them to help them retain their crispiness.

Nutrition