Gluten-Free S-Shaped Cookies

December 11th

Frost Anisette Cookies are an Italian cookie as known as S-Shaped Cookies. This is the perfect cookie for anyone watching their sugar or trying to slim down for holiday parties, while still enjoying something sweet.

Being half Italian, I grew up eating these during the holidays and at family gatherings. Italians feel food and family go hand in hand while making lasting memories. I’d like to think that with each gathering there’s a handful of memories that are brought back when you bite into certain foods. This is my moms favorite type of cookie to have during the holidays. It has a subtle lemon taste that will leave you craving more. In short this small cookie packs a big punch.

I have made changes to the original recipe since nothing in this cookbook is gluten free and is from The North End Italian Cookbook.


Cookie Ingredients

*all ingredients should be at room temperature

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 12 heaping tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco vegetable shortening
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 5 cups of Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend
  • 6 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/3 tablespoons anise or lemon extract (I used lemon extract as anise is expensive and hard to find, however, you can find it at Whole Foods)

Frosting Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon anise
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • multicolored sprinkles

    The creation of the Frosted Anisette Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream together sugar and shortening for 5 minutes.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, mix well.
  4. Put the mixer on low speed, adding 1/2 cup milk, 3 cups of GF flour, baking powder and lemon extract.
  5. Stir slowly for a couple of minutes, while adding the 2 remaining cups of flour until the dough is soft and a little sticky.
  6. Scrape dough from the bowl using a spatula onto a floured board.
  7. Knead dough with floured hands for 2 minutes
  8. Pull off 1-inch balls of from the dough (it will double in size in the oven).
  9. Roll between hands into a thin line.
  10. Twist the line of dough into an s shape or a figure 8. Then place on a non-greased pan.
  11. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned on top.
  12. Remove from oven. When cooled brush with lemon or anise frosting.

    Creation of the Frosting

  1. Mix sugar and extract well.
  2. Add skim milk until it forms a smooth paste. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.
  3. Frost cookies and sprinkle with candies
  4. Let the frosting harden
  5. Sever when completely cooled after about 1 hour.
 Buonopane, Marguerite DiMino. “Pastries, Cookies, and Desserts.” The North End Italian Cookbook. 1975. Reprint. Old Saybrook: The Globe Pequot Press, 1997. . Print.

Author: theredheadedwheatlesswanderer

I am a writer, photographer and travel of the world.

4 thoughts

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