European Recipes:Italian recipes: Anise Cookies 2

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04

       Title: ANISE COOKIES #2
Categories: Cookies, Dessert, Italian
       Yield: 3 dozen

       2 c Flour
       2 ts Ground anise seed (or 1 ts
            -anise extract)
     1/2 ts Baking powder
     1/8 ts Salt
       1 lg Lemon
     2/3 c Sugar
     1/2 c Vegetable shortening
5 3/16 tb Unsalted butter
       1    Egg yolk
       1 ts Vanilla extract
       1 tb Sugar (for decoration)
       1 ts Ground cinnamon (for decor.)

   Thoroughly stir together flour, anise, baking powder, and slat and set
   aside. Using a small sharp knife peel a thin layer of zest (without
   white membrane) from the entire lemon. Combine lemon zest and sugar
   in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until zest is
   very finely minced. Add shortening and butter to the processor and
   process for one minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla and process 20
   seconds longer. Add dry ingredients and continue processing just
   until they are blended. Divide dough in half and place each portion
   between large sheets of waxed paper and roll out to 1/8 inch thick.
   Check the underside of the dough to check for any creases. Slide
   dough onto a large tray or baking sheet and refrigerate for 15
   minutes, or until the dough is chilled and slightly firm. Preheat
   oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets. Work one
   half of the dough at at time. Turn the dough over and peel the sheet
   of wax paper off of the dough and replace the paper loosely. Then
   turn the dough right side up. Peel off and discard the top sheet of
   paper. Using assorted 2 1/4 to 3" cookie cutters cut out cookies.
   Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just brown ant
   the edges. Remove from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes. Transfer
   to wire racks and let stand until cooled completely. Sprinkle cookies
   with the decoration mixture.