Anise

Question: Is it true that German anise cookies need to be stored for weeks to taste good? I saw a recipe for German anise cookies. It says that once I take the cookies out of the oven, I need to store them in a container right away. The cookies would be ready in 8 hours but taste better if I wait for several weeks. Is it true? Do they not go bad?

Answer: That's what my gramma always told me to do with them...but she never could get me to eat those things anyway...blech! :-D Sorry!

Question: What is the difference between anise and fennel? What, if any, difference is there between anise and fennel, as it relates to cooking. If anybody can provide a link that will show pictures of the two plants so I can tell the difference, that would be great...

Answer: http://www.findhealer.com/glossary/image… http://www.mothernature.com/Library/ency… Fennel info: http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency… Anise seed info: http://www.mothernature.com/shop/detail.… They are from the same FAMILY of plants, but they are NOT the same plant. Fennel has its own seeds, different from anise seed. "Fennel is truly a vegetable and should not be confused with the herb, sweet anise. Even though they share a similar mild sweet licorice flavor, fennel comes from an entirely different plant. " http://www.tonytantillo.com/vegetables/f… http://www.tonytantillo.com/herbs/herbs.…

Question: How much anise seed should I use if the recipe calls for star anise? I know that they have a similar flavor, but I can't find a conversion for them. My recipe calls for one star anise, and I want to use whole anise seed. I can use weights or teaspoon/tablespoon measurements. Any suggestions?

Answer: If you ground a star anise it might make about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of star anise spice. So I'd grind the same amount of anise seed that you have and use it as you want in a recipe. The tastes are really different so you might want to add another one with it to tone it down. Like mace if you have it. It's the covering on the nutmeg spice. The star anise has a more warm scent and taste....but not hot. The regular anise is strong so I would not use too much of it. Best of luck, Mama Jazzy Geri

Question: What is the name of a Basil that smells like Anise and what are some good recipes for incorporating it? I'm not really fond of the Anise type smell of this Basil, so whichever recipe you can suggest, if it somehow subdues the poignant Anise taste or makes it better, then please share. Thank you. For reference, this basil's leaves smell and taste like anise - not just the flowers. The leaves of this basil are smooth, pointy and a darkish green color. They are about 1.5 - 2 inches in length.

Answer: Anise Basil or Persian Basil ( basilicum 'Licorice') Here is a recipe I found: introduction The combination of anise seed and basil in the following recipe may seem unusual, but it enhances the faint licorice flavor in basil. serving size Makes 2 servings. ingredients: For butter: 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon minced fresh licorice basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, ground coarse with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee grinder 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice For steak: 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 1 teaspoon anise seeds a 1-pound boneless sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick) olive oil for brushing steak For grilled fennel: (accompaniment if desired) 2 small fennel bulbs (sometimes call anise, about 1 pound), stalks trimmed flush with bulb olive oil for brushing fennel 1/2 lemon preparation To prepare the steak Prepare grill. Make butter: In a small bowl stir together butter ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until well blended and juice is incorporated. Grill Steaks: In a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag or between 2 sheets of wax paper crush peppercorns and anise seeds with bottom of a heavy skillet. Pat steak dry and coat both sides with peppercorn mixture, pressing it in. Season steak with salt and brush both sides with oil. Grill steak on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat. (Alternatively, steaks may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer steak with tongs to a platter and let stand 10 minutes. Top steak with dollops of anise basil butter. To make the fennel: Prepare grill. Quarter fennel bulbs lengthwise into wedges. In a steamer set over boiling water steam fennel, covered, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush fennel quarters with oil and grill on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. (Alternatively, fennel may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer grilled fennel with tongs to a serving dish. Squeeze lemon to taste over fennel and season with salt and pepper. NOTE: You can also find a lot of Persian dishes which include licorice basil. Good Luck

Question: what is the diffrerence between anise herb and star anise herb? I just heard that (anise), is an ingredient of tamiflu which is an antiviral medicine to fight swine flu. You can have this as tea. However, I just read that the real herb is called (star anise), What is the diffrerence pls?

Answer: The herb is the plant and the star is the fruit... I think

Question: Who has a good recipe for Anise cookies? It is for my two small boys. I just tried to make pumpkin anise muffins and now I want a good recipe for cookies. Do you have anything that is gluten free and made with rice flour?

Answer: This is a fantastic Martha Stewart recipe for Anise Drops--the cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The recipe calls for a pastry bag, but if you're not concerned with the cookies looking picture perfect, you can scoop the dough into a Ziploc bag, cut off one of the bottom corners, and pipe the dough from the bag. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 3 large eggs 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 teaspoon anise extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until eggs are fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Mix in anise extract. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a coupler or a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco No. 806). Pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops crack and cookies are very pale, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Question: How much does the spice anise cost per pound? We are doing a spice project for baking and well obviously my spice is anise so yeah.

Answer: anise seed is sold by the bottle or gram in small quantities . anise flavoring is sold as an extract. Check recipe likely only calls for a sprinkle or a tsp. strong licorice flavor often used in cookies , used to be in the centre of candies. Price will depend on quantity and where you purchase and live. Try a bulk food store but determine quantity required. A dollar or two will likely buy sufficient.

Question: How do you crush Anise Seeds? I am making a recipe and it calls for fresh crushed Anise Seeds, so how do I crush these if I don't have a coffee grinder? Don't drink coffee here... any other ways to crush these little seeds. Thanks so much for anyones helps.

Answer: a small coffee grinder works the best. thats what we use in the professional kitchen.

Question: what is a substitute for ground star anise? I'm trying to make fortune cookies and the recipe calls for ground star anise. I have no idea where to get this ingredient and it sounds pretty expensive. Because I'm running short on money and time, I think a substitute would be a more efficient, not to mention particle choice. Any suggestions?

Answer: Ground fennel seed. In terms of flavour, it's about the closest thing you'll find. Star anise isn't particularly expensive, by the way. You can find it at most Chinese grocers. Its taste is most often compared to black licorice.

Question: How can I grind anise seed at home without a spice grinder???????????? I'm making mexican sugar cookies and the call for GROUND anise seed. I can only find whole.

Answer: a coffee grinder is what I use ! works great.

Question: What's the difference between German & Italian anise cookies? Are there other variations? Where did anise cookies originate?

Answer: German anise cookies are hard; Italian anise cookies, also called "wedding cookies", are cake-like. There is a Mexican version, too, that is like the Italian version.

Question: Is there any vegetarian recipes that use star anise? I bought the star anise because it looked pretty, and I thought it would be useful as I'd seen it in recipes. I was eating meat at the time but now I don't. I think the recipes I saw it in must have been meat only ones because now I don't know what to do with it :( I'm so curious about it and want to try it!

Answer: I usually see it used in Chinese food. You could cook with Chinese-style vegetables and rice or noodles. I have done it before and it was pretty good. My wife is from India and I have seen star anise used in a rice or noodle pudding at least once. It's called kheer; I might be spelling it wrong. I don't think you can actually eat it. It seems to work best as a flavoring when you add it to cooking and take it out again before you eat. Kind of like some people might do with bay leaf or cloves.

Question: Is Anise wine the same with what we call Anisette? I cant find where to buy anise wine, and as to my research, there is what we call anisette liqueur. Is this the same? If yes, can i then buy sambuca as anisette? Thank you very much!

Answer: Not the same!

Question: How can I substitute ground anise for anise extract? I have a recipe that calls for 1 TBS of anise. I have ground seeds, can I make a substitution? If so how?

Answer: Not a problem Use 2 tsp of the ground for one tablespoon of the extract.

Question: What is the difference between Anise Seed Powder and Anise Star Powder? I will be making a cake for my boyfriends birthday that calls for powdered Anise...But there looks like there is different kinds. The name of the cake is called Rainbow Marzipan Cake on http://www.instructables.com/id/S55EVPMFMEGFKQU/ If you want to check it out... So basically whats the difference and which one do you think i should use in the recipe or is there just a regualr Anise?

Answer: You don't want the star anise powder. That is a savory spice used in Oriental cooking. You want regular anise powder, which has a vague licorice flavor.

Question: Where can I buy anise oil in Italy? We've been looking for PURE anise oil in the states and cannot find one of good quality. I had some brought back for me from Ventimiglio about 10 years ago. I am unable to go to Italy however, I want to buy the anise oil from there via online from Italy. Does anyone know where I am able to do this? Help please, I need it for the Italian cookies we make with the family and I don't want cheap Americani anise in my food. Grazie.

Answer: I believe that you can find it in any grocery store or the Super Mercato in Italy ,but I find it in he baker's isle of our food market here if you cannot find it there then you will able to find it at the Italian stores who sells groceries,pastries etc.. I usually purchase Anise or star anice form Club house ,here is a link for their products http://www.clubhouse.ca/en/products/deta… and this is not cheap ! you can also use Anisetta oppure Ouzo prego.

Question: Is it necessary to put anise seeds in pan de muertos? My class is having a breakfast party and a student is going to make pan de muertos. Is it really necessary to put an anise seed in the bread? what is the point of it? will it make a difference if it isn't in the bread? what if you put in cinnamon?

Answer: Anise seed adds flavour, if it is left out the bread will still rise and have the same consistency, it just won't taste of anise like authentic pan de muertos does. If you don't like anise you could add less so the flavour was really subtle, or replace it with another spice/flavour you like better, for example cinnamon, vanilla essence, cardamon seeds etc...

Question: Does anyone know the name of the Mexican cast iron cookie mold that makes large, flower shaped anise cookies? When I was growing up, the grandmother of a friend down the street used to make these wonderful, light, thin, crispy anise cookies that she made in an old cast iron mold. It had a flower or filagree pattern. It was an old cookie press or mold back then, and that was in my youth, about 30 years ago. I've often missed those cookies and would love to find an iron to make them myself.

Answer: Sounds like the Italian Pitselle (spelling) machine, which are sold at dept. stores and Amazon.com

Question: how much anise extract do i put in my bread? i am making pan de muerto and my recipie calls for 1 tablespoon of whole anise seed but i only have anise extract so how much should i add?

Answer: None. It is not the same. You COULD use 1 1/2-2 tablespoons or so of fennel seed though. Bert

Question: How many (quantity) star anise are in 1oz? Most recipes I find for Pho Bo list how many Star Anise to use, however searching online yields results in ounces not in quantity. How many star anise make up 1oz?

Answer: I would make a guess at about 15? An educated guess, fyi.....im a very good cook.