Alex: what are you making mommy?
Me: I’m making Moroccan anise cookies.
Alex: can you make American cookies?
Me: no, I’m craving mama’s cookies.
Oh mama mama, I miss you.
Mama is my maternal grandmother. She used to them on a weekly basis and we dipped them in mint tea. I like to play with this recipe; add different herbs and seeds. I also developed a gluten-free version.
I know a few people who dislike anise and licorice flavors but are addicted to these biscuits. FYI anise seeds are different from fennel seeds. 
The original recipe has more sugar in it but I think they’re better when lightly sweetened. I don’t make them as often as I would like to because it’s hard to stop eating them. They make a great healthy snack to pack in the lunch bag or when you’re on the go.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, oil, eggs, and seeds. Add the orange juice gradually into the bowl with one hand, while mixing the ingredients with the other.
Knead the dough for a minute or two until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is soft and a little sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit more orange juice, if it’s too sticky add a little bit flour. Cover with with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
Divide the dough into three chunks. Put each chunk on a baking paper sheet, and sprinkle some flour on top. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin as possible rectangle in the size of your baking sheets.
This part is really important – use a fork (or a dough prickler) to poke holes all over the dough.
You can use a pizza cutter to cut the edges to make a straight lines (a bit crooked is fine too), and to cut the dough into little squares or with a sharp knife.
Sprinkle some salt on top and transfer the cut dough with baking paper onto the baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes or until cookie-crackers are nicely browned on top and bottom. Let them cool completely on a rack before you transfer to a container or a zip lock bag.
Use a spatula to transfer the crackers that are brown on the edges to center of the baking pan or remove them from the oven and put them on a cooling rack.
Moroccan anise cookies / biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 eggs*
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds - optional
- 1 tablespoon anise seeds - optional
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds - optional
- 1 - 1¼ cup orange juice - preferably freshly squeezed but pre-packed will work too if you don't have oranges - nor the time to squeeze
- 2 baking sheets + baking paper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and add eggs, olive oil and seeds. Add the orange juice gradually into the bowl with one hand, while mixing the ingredients with the other.
- Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is soft and a little bit sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of orange juice, if it’s too sticky add a little bit of flour. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 340°F.
- Divide the dough into three. Roll each chunk into a ball on the baking paper. Flour the dough lightly and roll it into a ¼ inch (1 cm) thick large rectangle.
- This part is really important - use a fork (or a dough prickler) to poke holes all over the dough.
- To trim the edges and cut into 2.5” x 2.5” squares or 2”x 3.5” rectangles, use a pizza or ravioli cutter or any cookie cutter of your choice.
- Put on baking trays or sheets and bake for about 25 minutes – occasionally rotating the tray – or until the cookies are tanned. Remove the golden ones and continue to bake the rest. Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack before you put them in an airtight container or zip lock bag. They last up to one week (in our home they last a day).
Notes
- you can use nut milk instead of orange juice.
- play with the shape of the cookies.
- Add poppy seeds
שלי הדף חסר…
תוקנה הבעיה, תודה מותק!
These cookies are seriously addictive…. They were finished in one seating…. We made them Thursday night and tried them Friday and by Shabat morning….. they were gooooone… we are making them again today but they will be packed in small ziplocks and frozen hopefully to be eaten gradually…. But we cannot be sure of that….😇
I know! That’s why I stop making them often. We devour them. My mother in law is obsessed with them.
מקסים , מבטיחה לנסות, שימי גם בדף שלנו מאוד מתאים ילדים / בריא/ כיפור…
מקסים.געגועים לממה שלנו
ממש ענית לרצונות הכמוסים שלי,, זוכרת איך הייתי מבקשת
עוד ועוד כאלה במוגדור עם התה שלי ואף פעם לא היה מספיק לי
גם בגלל שכולכם לא הפסקתם לקחת לי,, אני מאד שמחה שכול
(המלאכים שלי כל כך אוהבים אותן,, (את העוגיות הניפלאות האלה
(,, אנסה להכיו אותן בעצמי (ואת יודעת איזו משימה זאת בשבילי
המון אהבה וגעגועים,, ממני
תודה. איזה כיף היה לקבל את כל התגובות החמות והמקסימות של כולכם. אסתי, לגמרי שכחתי שהם היו מגישים אותםבמוגדור עם התה. כשתבואי ב – thanks giving אני מבטיחה להכין אותם שוב. תודה שוב לכולם!
רוצה לנסות את המתכון אבל…
כתוב לערבב בהתחלה אבקת אפיה אם כי אבקת אפייה לא רשומה בכלל במרכיבים.
כמה אבקת אפייה לשים?
חשבתי לנסות את זה בלי סוכר. ניסית? מישהו ניסה?
תודה!
ענת
הי ענת! סליחה!!! צריך להוסיף חצי כף אבקת אפייה למתכון. אני לפעמים מכינה אותם עם כף סוכר וכפית מלח שאני מפזרת אחרי שאני מרדדת את הבצק. במקרה אתמול הכנתי אותם וחתכתי בכמות של הסוכר. הוספתי גם זרעי פשתן ופרג. הם יצאו טעימות. בהצלחה.
תודה! הולכת להכין היום!
גם אני הכנתי אותם שוב פעם היום. הם לא מחזיקות מעמד הרבה זמן. כולנו טורפים אותם.תגידי איך יצא, בבקשה!
הי שלי, הכנתי ויצא מצוין! תודה!
שמחה לשמוע. תודה(:
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Are there supposed to be anise seeds in this recipe??
Hi Leah, you right it says fennel seeds. I accidentally forgot to write anise or fennel seeds. I changed it to anise. Thank you for bringing it up 🙂
It doesn’t say in the instructions where to use the olive oil
Hi Lia, you’re right, it wasn’t there, I am sorry. I fixed it. Add the oil when you add the eggs and seeds. Before adding the orange juice. Please lmk how they came out. Thank you!