15 anise cake recipes

An impossibly delicious almond biscotti recipe; dip it into that hot cup of tea or coffee, it melts in your mouth, and you will swear it’s a perfect bite of food.

This recipe comes from Italy by way of Argentina. Maxwell Mowry of Charleston got this recipe when he lived in Buenos Aires in the early l970s. Since there are more people of Italian ancestry in Argentina than of Spanish ancestry, it is not surprising to find panettone there, where it is called in Spanish pan dulce, meaning 'sweet bread.' At Christmas in Argentina, pan dulce is eaten accompanied by sparkling apple cider. Houseware shops in Argentina sell special tall cylindrical springform pans to bake the pan dulce, but an empty, greased 1-pound coffee can may be used.

Double anise almond biscotti with anise extract, ground star anise, and slivered almonds in a twice-baked Italian cookie. Crisp enough to dunk in espresso or vin santo.

Anise almond biscotti baked twice for that signature crunch. Shaped into horseshoes, sliced, and dried low and slow. Keeps for weeks in a jar. Built for dunking.

Melt-in-your mouth balls topped with crunch sesame seeds are a delicious, not too sweet, accompaniament to coffee or tea.

Italian biscotti with candied cherries, chopped nuts, and a hint of star anise. Twice-baked for that signature dry crackly snap, perfect for dunking in coffee, espresso, or vin santo.

Traditional New Mexican biscochitos with anise seed and cinnamon-sugar topping. These shortening-based cookies are crisp, fragrant, and cut into festive shapes.

Rio Grande-style biscocitos with butter, anise seed, and brandy, dusted in cinnamon sugar before baking. Crisp, fragrant, and easy to cut into festive shapes. Makes 3 dozen.

Chocolate-dipped biscotti flavored with Pernod, bourbon, and anise seed with chopped almonds baked twice for a crisp, crunchy snap. Dipped in melted chocolate chips the day they're served for a glossy finish.

Classic Italian biscotti studded with toasted walnuts and star anise, double-baked until crisp for perfect dunking in coffee or wine.

Traditional New Mexican biscohos cookies spiced with cinnamon, star anise, and cloves, then dusted with cinnamon sugar while still warm from the oven. A cherished holiday cookie that fills the kitchen with the most intoxicating aroma.

Crunchy twice-baked biscotti packed with roasted almonds and hazelnuts, scented with vanilla, anise, and almond extract. A big-batch Italian cookie that keeps for weeks and begs to be dunked.

Hazelnut and anisette biscotti are twice-baked Italian cookies flavored with toasted hazelnuts, anise seed, lemon zest, and espresso powder. Crisp Christmas cookies for dunking in coffee.

Old-fashioned Christmas fruit cake with boiled raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. No eggs or butter needed, just cold water and shortening for a dense, spiced holiday cake.

A three-layer chocolate cake with cocoa and walnut extract, blanketed in fluffy marshmallow icing and showered with chopped black walnuts. All the joy of an ice cream sundae, no melting required.