The Spanish anise and sesame cookies, tortas (cakes) de aceite y anís are very similar to reifat, the Moroccan anise biscuits I grew up on. The flavor is almost the same but the texture and shape are different. My ancestors probably brought the recipe to Morocco when they were exiled from Spain during the Inquisition. Or perhaps it came from the Moors?

The Spanish dough contains beer, whereas the Moroccan recipe calls for orange juice. The Jews most likely had to substitute the beer because alcohol was forbidden in Muslim countries. (Feel free to educate me by commenting below). Moroccan biscuits are made with baking powder and eggs therefore are thicker and fluffier. The Spanish divide the dough into equal pieces and roll each piece into an individual cookie. The Moroccans, who had to make dozens of them, rolled the dough into a large rectangle and cut it into diamonds.

If I wasn’t addicted to their flavor and texture, I would’ve made them more often. I just googled “Is anise addictive?” Again, nothing. However, I discovered that anise contains chemicals that might have estrogen-like effects. As you know, when women age their estrogen levels start to drop (menopause). Maybe that’s why my intuitive grandmother made anise biscuits on a weekly basis and why I crave them more than ever. Another fact I found on the internet is that anise seeds enhance libido and are good for indigestion, constipation, and migraine. I would eat them with a cup of tea on the sides. Mint* tea in the summer or shiba (wormwood) in the winter.

The recipe is adapted from “The Food of Spain” cookbook. 

*mint is cooling and shiba is warming.