Grandma Tramonte's Tatales (Itailian Cookies)

My husband grew up in an Italian family in Pittsburgh. This is one of his childhood favorites.

Grandma Tramonte's Tatales

Cookie Mixture

4 cups flour

6 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup Crisco

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp anise oil (you may have to get this at the pharmacy)

1 cup sugar

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together and put aside.

Beat the eggs and mix with Crisco, anise oil and sugar.

Mix in the ingredients that were set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350*.

Knead the cookie mixture until an imprint of your finger will rise and spring back and mixture should look shiny.

Make shapes like balls or knots, but make and bake only one shape at a time.

Bake at 350* for 15 minutes until bottom is brown and tops are light.

Icing Mixture

2 tbs butter

1tsp vanilla (pure, not extract)

2 lb confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 drop anise oil

Melt butter on low heat.

Add vanilla.

Add confectioner's sugar, mix well to a somewhat thick consistency . The consistency should be like melted ice cream or thin pudding.

Optional: add food coloring. (just a few drops)

Cookies must be cool before application of icing. Encase entire cookie and let the icing dry completely on wax paper, then flip over to another piece of wax paper so both sides dry.