Congratulations to Our Holiday Recipe Contest Winner! Meet local baking enthusiast, and our winner, Tina Costello

 Hi there, I’m Tina! I bake a lot, spend way too much time on Pinterest looking at recipes, and watch more Food Network than I’d like to admit.  I’m Italian, which means someone in my family is always cooking or baking, whether it’s my Mom or Nonna.  Growing up, I always had an appreciation for baking because my Nonna felt it was essential for me to know what I was doing in the kitchen.  I started baking when I was about five years old and took it more seriously as I got older.  I immediately felt like it was what I was meant to be doing, and I knew I had to pursue it.  I must’ve been right because I’m 22 now, and still have the same passion as I did when I was five.
If you’re anything like me, the holidays are your holy grail.  Every year, I eagerly wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas time to come around.  I know summer and spring are great, but let’s be honest, cooking and baking are one million times more fun in the cold – and by cold I mean 70 degrees –  fall weather. Well, my friends, winter is here, and I’m elated because that means Christmas is just 24 days away!  When I think of the holidays, pumpkin, gingerbread, spices and, of course, sweets, come to mind.
I’d like to share one of my favorite cookies with you.  This is a recipe my family has been making for years.  My family’s Italian Anise Cookies are guaranteed to please everyone – trust me on this one!  This cookie is just the right amount of sweet, but fair warning: They are addicting!  My family and I usually make these for Christmas because it’s our tradition; though, they work for just about any occasion!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
For more of Tina’s delicious recipes, please look for her new column coming up in the February/March issue of élite Magazine.

Italian Anise Cookies
Makes: about 80 cookies; Total Time: approx. 1 hour
Ingredients
Dough
¾ cup sugar
1 stick (½ cup)
unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
¼ cup Milk
1 tsp anise extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Glaze
Whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 4 to 5 tsp milk and 1 tsp Anise Extract, in a small bowl until smooth.
Decoration
Multicolored nonpareils
Directions
Heat Oven to 325°F.  Coat baking sheets with non-stick spray.
Dough: Beat the first five ingredients in a large bowl with mixer or a stand mixer, until blended.  On low speed, beat in the next three ingredients until blended.
Drop rounded measuring teaspoons of dough (bite size) 2 in. apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until bottoms are light golden. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Dip tops of cookies in Glaze and, while wet, sprinkle with nonpareils.  Let set.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze for up to one month.
Baking Tip: If you are not a fan of Anise, you can replace it with any flavor of your choice.
For example: Vanilla, Peppermint, Lemon.