Almond and Anise Cookies

The Marcona Almonds & Anise Cookies are inspired by the traditional Spanish Tortas de Aceite y Anis. They are flavored with whole anise seeds and sweet Spanish anise liquor. The Marcona almonds and toasted sesame seeds give these cookies a nutty accent; they add texture and a hint of saltiness that make these bite sized treats unique.

They pair perfectly well with coffee or tea… or something sparkling! ;)

Bon Appétit!

Almond & Anise Cookies

Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Makes 50 mini cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon Spanish Sweet Anise Liquor
2 Tablespoons anise seeds
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup Marcona almonds*

Directions
Scale and prep all the ingredients.
You will need one medium bowl, a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, a small ice cream scoop, a cooling rack and a spatula.

Heat the oven to 350F (180C).

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix lightly. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Add  the olive oil, egg and anise liquor then mix until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until homogeneous. Incorporate the anise seeds and sesame seeds.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the Marcona almonds with a spatula.
Using a small ice cream scoop, place small balls of cookie dough (with enough space between them) on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the cookies (one sheet at a time) between for approximately 9 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and wait for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

* If you can’t find Marcona almonds regular ones will work perfectly, just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the original recipe.