1.5 tablespoons anise seeds crushed (see note preceding)
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 large eggs
2.5 cups flour all-purpose
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange peel grated
0.3 teaspoon salt
0.8 cup solid vegetable shortening at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Equipment
bowl
baking sheet
oven
blender
plastic wrap
cookie cutter
spatula
rolling pin
Directions
In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat shortening and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth.
Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice and beat just until combined.
In a medium bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour, anise seeds, baking powder, and salt.
Add to shortening mixture, stir to mix, then beat until well blended. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll one disk at a time to about 1/8 inch thick. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes and place about 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. Gather excess dough into a ball, reroll, and cut out remaining cookies.
In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon of the mixture over each cookie; save any remaining cinnamon sugar for other uses.
Bake cookies in a 350 regular or convection oven just until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking.
Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.
