You will need to activate the yeast. What?? Activate the yeast you say... Hmmm, how does one do this? It's easy, this is what you do: Get a small bowl, pour in 1/3 cup of hot water from the tap into a small bowl, then get a thermometer and test the temperature of the water. The hot water needs to be at 105 degrees F - 115 degrees F. (This is important, it makes the yeast happy). Once you have the temperature of the hot water at the desired temperature, go ahead and pour in 1 package of dry active yeast (2-1/2 Tsp.). Then let it sit in the hot water for 3 - 5 minutes, when activated it should have a creamy consistency. (This is also kinda cool to watch, yeast is weird stuff!).

Bowl #2
After the yeast is activated, go ahead and pour the creamy yeast stuff into a large mixing bowl. Then add the 5 cups of flour, 4 Tbls. of Fennel Seeds, 1-1/2 Tsp. Anise seeds, 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil, 1 cup of beer, 1 Tbls. sugar and 1 Tsp. of Salt. Then mix this well. Mix until you get a nice dough ball, don't mix too well, you want to be gentle with this so you have a nice soft and spongy dough ball. When ready, the dough may still be a little wet, if so just add a tad bit more flour. ok - this part is important. If you really want to make it like Grandma made it, then for this next step, you will want to do this right on the counter... (preferably a clean counter (wife's note)) Forget about the wax paper and keeping the kitchen clean.. Get messy!! It will make the cookies taste better ;)

When the dough ball is ready, spread some flour on the counter and plop the dough ball onto the counter. You will want to work with the dough a lot folding it and pushing it into the counter, throw it up in the air, bounce it off your cabinets, whatever you want, just get it to a nice consistency. Not too firm, it should be light and elastic and just a little wet. More dry than wet... um... well... you'll figure it out. There is an art to this part, knowing when the dough is just right. When the dough is at a nice consistency, push it down flat, not to flat, about 1" thick.

(The key to this is to "Take your time kneading the dough", it's going to be hard work. When your done, your wrists will ache! But trust me, it's all going to be worth the pain ;).

At this point you will want to pre-heat your oven to 350 Degrees F.


Now you are going to want to add icing to the cookies, so you are going to have to make the icing. Here is how you make the icing. Get a me


Ok - Now your cookie dough is ready. This is the tricky part and will take a little practice. This is the part where you are going to make the cookie shapes. To do this, first, get some flour on your hands. Then you will need to pull off a piece of dough, enough to make a ball of dough about 1" in diameter. Just pretend you're making meatballs. Work with the dough ball for a while squeezing it, throwing it up in the air, whatever you want, just get it to a nice consistency. When you have a nice firm dough ball, start rolling it between your hands back and forth and back, fast at first and then slowly. What your working towards is a long thin roll of dough about 6" long and about 1/2" in Diameter. Then put them on a cookie sheet (preferably a double wall baking cookie sheet). You will want to loop them and make a Q shape and place them on the cookie sheet. Do not grease the cookie sheet, just place them right on there. The cookies should be large enough where you can comfortably get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet. This recipe makes enough for 24 cookies. Check the video below in regards to a neat trick about keeping the dough ends sticking together.


You will need to boil the Taralli's before baking them. Get a pot of boiling water going. Place the Taralli's, about 4 or 5 at a time, depending on the size of your pot and just cook them long enough for them to rise back to the top then take them out with a slotted spoon. Let all the water drain out. Then place them on a kitchen towel to dry.

Place cookie sheet in center rack of pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes with a break in the middle. Cook for 25 minutes, then quickly take them out of the oven closing the door fast so as not to let the heat out. Brush on egg whites and quickly put them back in the oven and cook for another 20 minutes. Watch them carefully and take them out when you have a nice golden brown look to them. Well, actually they are going to get quite dark brown. Don't worry, you want this cookie to be hard and crunchy. They are meant for coffee dunking :-) When done, take them off the cookie sheet right away and let them cool on a cookie cooling rack. Let them sit on covered on the cookie rack for 24 hours. Then they will be ready. You can munch on one right away of course, but they will not be hard like they are meant to be, but will still be delicious!

Note:
The absolute best way to eat these wonderful cookies you just made is to sit down with a nice cup of Espresso and enjoy your hard work!!!! Auh, just wonderful!

Great Job! You did it! Your now an Italian Grandmother! Congratulations!

"I was a little skeptical at first, about what the flavor would be from looking at the ingredients, for instance, there's no sugar in it! However, the finished product was delightful. It's slightly sweet, with a refreshingly different flavor (the fennel) and a bit hard. I like them! Thanks, Grandma!" ~ the Wife

That's it you're done...
Easy as Pie!