Zuccherini Montanari: Traditional Italian Anise Cookies

Years ago, on my old food blog, I created a biscuit Advent calendar: from December 1st to December 25th, I shared a different biscuit recipe every day. It was a lovely way to count down to Christmas, one batch of homemade biscuits at a time.

I’m now bringing those recipes back to La Mora Romagnola, one by one. There are plenty of old favourites waiting to be rediscovered, and I hope this project will inspire you to try some of them in your own kitchen.

If you enjoy baking and discovering biscuits from different countries and traditions, you can also find more recipes in my cookbook, Cookies from Around the world: 50 sweet and savory recipes now available in English on Amazon.

Today’s recipe takes us to the Bolognese Apennines, where these rustic, traditional biscuits are known as zuccherini montanari. They are made with simple ingredients, flavoured with anise seeds and coated in a sweet sugar glaze.

When I was a child, I remember a larger version of these biscuits, which we called zuccheroni. They were thick and about the size of a fist. My father and my sister absolutely loved them, although I was never particularly fond of them myself. The smaller biscuits in these photos met the same fate: they went straight into their hands!

Zuccherini Montanari: Anise Biscuits from Emilia-Romagna

Yield: 20 biscuits
Prep time: 20 minutes
Resting time: None
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes, plus time for the glaze to dry

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 350 g all-purpose flour

• 70 g granulated sugar

• 50 ml vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon anise seeds

• ½ sachet baking powder

For the sugar glaze

• 40 ml water

• 300 g granulated sugar

• Anise liqueur (optional) or anise extract (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the dough. Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and foamy. Gradually add the vegetable oil, beating continuously.

2. Stir in the anise seeds. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add them to the mixture. Knead briefly until you have a smooth dough.

3. Shape the biscuits. Divide the dough into pieces weighing about 25 g each. Roll each piece into a short rope and join the ends to make a ring, pressing them together firmly. The rings should be fairly thick rather than wide and thin.

4. Using a sharp knife, make deep cuts all around the outside edge of each ring, taking care not to cut all the way through the dough.

5. Arrange the biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for 15–20 minutes.

6. Prepare the glaze. While the biscuits are baking, put the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add a few drops of anise extract or a tablespoon of anise liqueur, if using.

7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Dip the biscuits into the hot syrup, one or two at a time, coating them well.

8. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and leave them to dry completely before storing.

Notes

Zuccherini montanari are traditionally quite firm biscuits, with a distinctive anise flavour and a crisp sugar coating. Once the glaze has dried, store them in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place. They can keep for up to two weeks, provided they are thoroughly dry before being stored.