This recipe is based on one in a magnificent book called Delicias de antaño by Teresa Castelló Yturbide and María Josefa Martínez del Río de Redo. The anise flavor comes from toasted aniseed as well as anise liqueur. These cookies are a unique preparation, because they are submerged in a sweet syrup after baking and dusted with sugar once they’ve dried out.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 30

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup (4 ounces) vegetable shortening

　　1 teaspoon aniseed

　　1 tablespoon anise liqueur

　　Zest of 1 lime

　　

Syrup

1/4 cup water

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon anise liqueur

　　Sifted confectioner’s sugar mixed with a bit of freshly ground canela, for dusting

　　

Step 1

Sift the flour into a bowl. Melt the shortening in a small pan and add the aniseed. Heat for a couple of minutes over low-medium heat, making sure they don’t burn, and then pour onto the flour. Mix with a spoon carefully but rapidly so no lumps are formed. Add the liqueur and lime zest.

　　

Step 2

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth and uniform dough is formed, 3 to 5 minutes. With your hands, roll out pieces about 5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick, starting in the center and rolling outward so that the pieces are evenly thick. Connect one end of each piece to the other, making a ring, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until firm.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies until slightly firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

　　

Step 4

TO MAKE THE SYRUP, combine the water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the liqueur. Dip the tops of the cookies into the syrup and let dry on a rack. Pour any remaining syrup over the cookies and let cool completely.

　　

Step 5

Dust with the confectioner’s sugar mixture and enjoy (they are best eaten the same day).

　　Reprinted with permission from My Sweet Mexico: Recipes for Authentic Pastries, Breads, Candies, Beverages, and Frozen Treats © 2010 by Fany Gerson. Photographs by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.