Sesame Anise Cookies from Feast in the Middle East
Blanche is an accomplished Arab American food blogger and author who reported on ABC’s “View from the Bay,” and has hosted the independent film show “Video I” for PBS for 10 years. In 2010, she began hosting her own cooking show, sharing many years of treasured Middle Eastern recipes preserved by her mother, grandmother, and family. “These are family recipes handed down from one generation to the next, recipes that many culinary schools today don’t know about – however, there were no written measurements,” Blanche says. That’s when she decided to document the recipes in an ongoing cookbook and food blog, and Feast in the Middle East was born. (See: https://feastinthemiddleeast.com/)
“When I’m nostalgic about my childhood, these Sesame Anise Cookies (Ka’ak bi Anson) come to mind. “I used to eat them with my grandparents, and listen to their stories about our family history. My family thinks the ground anise seed in the cookies can soothe the stomach, so my grandmother would give them to me when I had a stomach ache. The cookies are best served with hot coffee or tea…you can taste the licorice flavor of anise melting in your mouth with a hot beverage. Aside from any health benefits, these cookies remind me of the times I spent with my family when I was younger,” she adds.
