Sicilian Knot Cookies

These interesting Italian cookies are made with anise-flavored dough that's shaped into a knot. They're topped with a lemon glaze and chopped nuts.

Ingredients:

• Cookie:
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup (unsalted) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon anise extract
• Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• Garnish:
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour and baking powder. Beat together sugar and butter. Add eggs, (one at a time), milk, salt, vanilla, anise extract and then the flour. Mix at low speed or by hand just until flour is incorporated. Roll dough into ropes. Cut each rope into a 5-inch piece and tie like a knot. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheets about 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be set but not brown. Cool cookies completely. Make a glaze by mixing powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice and lemon rind. Dip tops of cookies in glaze and then in the chopped walnuts.

Number of Servings: about 28 cookies

Notes from the Cook: