Categories: Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. aniseed, toasted
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• About 6 Tbsp. raw sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high, occasionally scraping down the bowl, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and next 4 ingredients; beat until smooth. Add the aniseed and half the flour; beat on medium-low until just blended. Repeat with the remaining flour.
2. Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Knead until it just comes together, two or three turns. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Place on a work surface dusted with confections’ sugar. Dust dough with more sugar; roll to 1/4-inch thick. Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Gather up the scrapes; roll again, refrigerating if the dough is too soft. Arrange on 3 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2-inches apart.

4. Sprinkle each cookie with about 1/2 tsp. raw sugar. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden around the edges, 10 to 13 minutes. Transfer on the parchment to racks and let cool.

5. makes about 3 dozen

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