Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work
surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled briefly
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground anise seeds

4 to 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
About 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Sift the flour with the baking
powder, salt, and sugar and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle
attachment, mix together the eggs, butter, orange juice, brandy, vanilla, and anise seeds
until well blended. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until the
dough cleans the sides of the bowl and adheres to the paddle.

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured board. Knead by hand until smooth. Form the
dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and place in a bowl. Cover with a tea towel and chill
at least 2 hours or up to overnight to allow the dough to relax.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, cut the dough into 4 or 6 equal pieces. Keeping the dough and work surface well
floured, pass the dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine 3 or 4 times. Then
pass through successively narrower settings until the dough is almost thin enough to see

through; depending on your pasta machine, this will probably be the next to thinnest
setting.

Cut the dough into long strips 3 inches wide, then cut the strips on the diagonal into
pieces about 3 inches long. If the dough tears, cut it off and work it back into the
dough. The cookies curl when they fry, so fancier shapes are not important. As the cookies
are cut, transfer them to baking sheets lined with flour-dusted tea towels, and cover with
tea towels so they won't dry out before frying. Fry in batches, turning once, until puffed
and golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
While the cookies are still hot, dust them well with powdered sugar. Wait for a few
minutes while the oil and heat absorb and melt most of this first coating. Dust well a
second time until the cookies are quite white. The cookies will keep for a week or so in
an airtight container. You may need to re-dust them with sugar before serving.

Only a few cookies at a time will fit, even in a big pot, so frying takes time. It is best
to have company in the kitchen, ready with lots of good talk to keep you amused. And there

are always the warm cookies to eat along the way as a reward. You can also dredge the
cookies in granulated sugar, crystal sugar, or even a mix of powdered sugar and
unsweetened cocoa powder.