Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cups of pre-sifted flour
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon anise oil
• toasted sesame seeds

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar. When fluffy, add eggs and beat. Add flour, vanilla and anise oil. Stir in flour and put in refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Make small rolls in hand about as long as a pencil and about 3/4 inch in diameter. Dampen hand with water then roll in toasted sesame seeds. Put on a board and cut into 1 1/2″ to 2″ lengths.

Bake at 400 degrees and until slightly brown. Makes about 4 pounds of cookies .

This is another old recipe I have been making for many, many years.  It isn’t a fancy cookie but I always have to make them for my family at Christmas.  They actually get better the longer you keep them because the anise becomes stronger.  I have my own way of rolling them out and then covering them with the sesame seens.  Anyone who makes them will just have to come up with their own method.