Anise Cookies

Put the egg and powdered sugar into a bowl and whisk for about 10 minutes into a pale, airy cream.

Stir in the ground anise and gradually add the flour until a very thick, honey-like batter forms.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly butter the paper and dust it with a little flour.

Place small heaps on the sheet with a teaspoon. They should flow smoothly on top but not spread out on the sheet.

Let the cookies dry at room temperature overnight until a visible and palpable skin forms on the surface.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (top and bottom heat).

Just before baking, sprinkle the anise cookies with whole anise seeds.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cookies have a squat 'foot' and a frothy white top.

Remove the cookies from the sheet and let them cool completely on a wire rack.