Italian Cookies

(Makes about 6 dozen)

6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

anise seed to taste (We used 1 teaspoon.)

ICING:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup water

sprinkles for decoration

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together by hand. Add shortening and butter and knead by hand. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and again knead by hand. Sprinkle anise seed into the dough and knead until well mixed.

Take small amounts of the dough and make thin ropes, then twist into shapes - wreaths, bows, pretzels, figure 8s, etc. (The dough will puff up when it's baked, so make the ropes as thin as possible.) Do not make the shapes too large; all should be about the same size to ensure even baking.

Place on nonstick cookie sheets, or line sheets with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

Mix powdered sugar and water to make a fairly thick icing. Spread over cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

Per cookie: 95 calories, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 16 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 9 milligrams cholesterol, 19 milligrams sodium

Courtesy of Sandy Mack, Laurel

Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Lloyd Fox