Genus Pimpinella anisum
Ok, well, United Airlines delivered me back to the land of Winter weather and, well, no sense in fighting it. I nearly made a bargain to trade places with the lady at the National Car Rental office on Monday who said she was from NJ and wanted to come back (really?). After dusk, as we drove home from the airport, we saw so many houses decorated for Christmas and a pretty good number with their Christmas trees up already. I thought, what – it is November 26! Am I ready for this? Is the calendar re-adjusting itself? Seems to me that Winter is occurring earlier and then wafting off earlier to result in a more tepid January, February and March. Dare I say that?
So, we have had our ordeal with Sandy for 2 weeks, barely gotten cleaned up, and now we have had our little treat of warmth and sun for a few days with the kids. I am grateful for that. Now what? As with most things, I let my instincts set the direction. Now my home and the kitchen in particular has a distinct Winter-laden feel to it.
In these days of restricted hours of sunlight and warmth, I generally try to divert myself onto some specific occupation and keep myself focused, trying to avoid the feelings of despair which come from knowing that Spring is more than 6 months away. In addition to trying to get a good Christmas Card picture taken and designing my card, I turn to the kitchen for sustenance. (This is going to be a “girl-interrupted” December as they are coming to tear out my cabinets on Monday and I will have no kitchen for 1 1/2 weeks. Did I plan this? Ugh – What am I going to do?)
Tuesday morning I awoke at 5:23 and soon after felt a familiar urge – to investigate cookie and cake recipes – ones laden with warm, comforting spices. Dark mornings often ignite this set of feelings. On Monday, I thought of the idea of “bogging” the blog with a compendium of spice stories and recipes during the month of December. All right, we aren’t technically in December yet, but , well, close enough.
So, today is about Anise. This herb evokes one of the most tender and coveted memories for me of my childhood. My paternal Grandmother, Mary Primavera was an amazing cook and baker. She was always in the kitchen it seemed, (and when not, she was at her beautiful Singer sewing machine – a furniture model, polished and gleaming with pin cushion wrapped around the arm and secured with a pin.) I have the most wonderful memories of her in her big bright kitchen – the one with the green formica counters, making cookies and pasta. She made tons of other things but her cookies and pasta were my favorites.
Grandma made Strufoli and “Ribbons” but most of all, I loved her Taralle. This is what her sweet, iced anise-flavored cookies were called – and they came in two varieties – hard and soft. We preferred the “hard” ones. These cookies are known by many other names in their genus. As you look around the internet or in books, you’ll find them as Taralli Dolci, Anise Cookies or just plain Taralle and other names as well. This is definitely not a fancy cookie and for the unindoctrinated, may even seem somewhat humble and uninspiring. But, this is one cookie I will never forget.
Let me back up for just a moment and comment about the meaning of my two grandmothers in my life. These two women evoke very profound and incredibly grounding memories for me, for, other than my own Mom, I consider each of them to have been the true soul of my family. Both of these women were formidable, accomplished, singularly-focused, intelligent and, while completely under-accomplished in today’s sense, highly independent in their pursuits – also, may I say they were totally under-appreciated. My maternal Grandmother, Antonina Butera, was a somewhat quiet, sometimes stern woman who was more externally focused and more “Americanized” than my paternal grandmother. Yet, for both, the utmost focus of their lives was their home and family. Nonni had several brothers, who were sent off to college and obtained professional degrees, a fact that still frosts me to this day, as the girls, of course, were not offered this option. Being that Nonni was born before the turn of the 20th century, the fact that these boys were college-educated and had advanced degrees was pretty impressive in the Italian-American community in Morristown in those days. Anyway, both of my grandmothers created a very strong impression on me as, in spite of their being women, aka second-class citizens in the families of their generation, they were in fact, “in charge”. Maybe they weren’t in charge as we consider it today, but they were clearly the more formidable, sensible and effective of the figures in the household. I find this curiously motivating, even today. I did not know my maternal grandfather and my paternal grandfather left me with little to be considered as positive and so I look to both my grandmothers as great role models. In any event, they followed a pretty common model for their day and excelled around the home in the kitchen and maintaining the “hearth” in all senses. I find it interesting that my interests have coalesced around much the same. My love for cooking and baking sprung ever so early and clearly from my dear Mom and my two grandmothers. My love of gardening and the beauty of plants came directly and singularly from my Father, who was the most profoundly visual and sensory-driven person I have ever met (until Ryan came along).
Memories and these feelings seem to come to the forefront when the holidays come around. All of these people are gone now, but memories of them are still very much alive, and particularly at this time of year.
Back to anise. I have collected anise-flavored cookie recipes for as long as I can remember. When some of my aunts were still alive I canvased them for theirs – but as is quite common, no one made them exactly as Grandma did – and she never measured anything. So, each year I get out the collection, canvas the internet and yet more cookie books and try one or two more iterations. It is with total nostalgia that I make these – that and the fact that Ryan loves these cookies, too! I find this very interesting since the anise flavor is not something he finds in other recipes in his repertoire, but the very first time he tasted them he attached to them.
On Tuesday, it was snowing by 7:06 am. It was time to focus on the foods of the season which inspire me – and hence, back to Anise. One of my biggest regrets in life was not getting my paternal grandmother’s recipe for “hard” taralle. Grandma’s cookies were hard and dry in texture but I loved them so. Their texture was appreciated as in the texture of a dry biscotti – is it just the Italians who love dry cookies? Every time we went to her house, I’d hope she had made these – and most times he had. While they are known to be common around Easter, Grandma made these for us at all times of the year. Struffoli and ribbons were saved for more festive occasions, but we could count on Grandma to have made the Taralle! It is amazing that a single item such as these (like the Honey Loaf from B. Altman) can create such in indelible memory in one’s life, and I just don’t mean one’s culinary life.
On Tuesday, I began a search for cakes and cookies with anise. Just to start out, Anise and Star Anise are not the same plants. Anise is Pimpinella Anisum, an annual herb (ok I admit, I am confused here about the herb vs spice categorization), native to Egypt and the Mediterranean – although it is widely grown in the US today as an alternative to fennel. It has a parsley like habit, with lower leaves as such and upper leaves which are more lacy. It’s flowers are white and umbrella-like and resemble Queen Anne’s Lace. It is primarily used in cakes, breads and confections in Europe and the Middle East and in curries and seafood dishes in India and surrounding countries. It is also the flavoring of French Pastis and Greek Ouzo. On the other hand, Star Anise is Illicium Verum, an evergreen plant which is native to China and Vietnam. It produces beautiful pods on an evergreen tree which is related to the Magnolia family. Star Anise is the dominant flavor in Chinese Five Spice Powder.
The focus of my thoughts and recipe research today is the former Anise, Pimpinella Anisum. Time for a visit to Kalustyan’s to wander around.
Here is one favorite recipe for Taralli Dolci adapted from Michele Sciccolone’s Glazed Vanilla Rings”. I will be making these and trying variations over the next several weeks. At least they are not taking my Garland range out!
TARALLI DOLCI – adapted from Michele Sciccolone’s Glazed Vanilla Rings
3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp pure anise extract or crushed anise seed, or to taste
Glaze: 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
few drops anise extract
few drops milk
Sprinkles
Preheat oven to 375F. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and anise extract and blend well. Turn mixer to low and gradually add the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Break off a 1″ piece of dough. Roll the dough between your hands or on the countertop into a 4″ rope which is about 1″ thick. If the dough is too sticky, lightly flour your hands and the countertop. Pinch the two ends together to make a ring and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing rings about 1″ apart.
Bake rings 12-14 minutes or until just beginning to color. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, vanilla, anise and a few drops of milk at a time to yield a smooth glaze that is not too runny. Dip the cookies in the glaze or spread over. Immediately dust them with sprinkles. Let them dry on racks.
A word about Anise flavoring in general – this is a flavor profile that you either like or dislike (people either like licorice or don’t) generally speaking. If you don’t like licorice you can adjust the extract or flavor of these cookies by using vanilla, almond, lemon or whatever you’d like. Because I love anise and it brings back such memories for me, I’m sticking with it.
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Here is a cake recipe to try also:
ANISE – OLIVE OIL CAKES – Adapted from Martha Stewart
Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
1 large egg yolk
1 packed tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar for dusting
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp anise seeds, lightly toasted
1/2 tsp anise extract
2/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 tsp baking powder
extra granulated sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 4 1 cup mini Bundt pans with cooking spray. Dust with granulated sugar. Whisk eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, orange zest, and anise seeds in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in three additions. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until light gold and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm. Note: next time I make these I am going to try adding 1/4 cup ground nuts (almonds or hazelnuts).
Pictures from the back yard on Tuesday:
And, some “leftovers” – pics from the Turkey dinner prep:
And, Ina Garten’s Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers – always a hit – and very easy!
I am going outside now to plant my two new Holly bushes -into the planters on my front wall where the mums flew off during Sandy!