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| Ok, here's the stuff! No, you will not be pouring the whole 6 pack into the cookies. |
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| This is a packet of active yeast, weird stuff, but it helps your dough rise, so you need this. |
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| You let this sit in hot water for about 5 minutes. It's kinda like an experiment. Watch it do weird things. Ooooh, have the kids help you with this. |
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| This is where you use the beer. 1 cup is what you will be using. I prefer Fosters for this recipe. A nice robust flavor but you can use whatever you like best.... |
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| This is where all the nice flavor comes from. Fennel seeds and Anise seeds. These things are packed with wonderful aroma and flavor. They gonna make those cookies taste good! |
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| After you have measured out the seeds, put them both in a little 1 cup container and spend some time smashing the seeds between your fingers. Its going to take some muscle, but you want to smash up several of the seeds pretty good. It's going to help release more flavor, trust me. |
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| Here we have everything we are going to add to the flour all ready to go. Fennel and Anise seeds, water, oil, sugar, salt, beer... Hey! Where did the beer go, alright, who drank the beer?! Now I have to get another bottle, this will be the third one! Geeesh! |
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| There we are starting to add the liquid to the flour. You will need a good size bowl for this mix. In goes the beer. |
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| ... In goes the weird active yeast stuff, all creamy and ready to mess with the flour ;-) |
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| ...In goes the vegetable oil. |
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| ...In goes the yummy seeds. |
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| Now you have to spend some time mixing all this stuff with a fork. Its going to get thick so be prepared to use some muscle! |
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| Taking a little break. It's getting there. |
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| Ok, now dump the fork and start using your hands. Work with it. Use some muscle. |
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| It's mixed pretty well now and is starting to have a nice consistency and is about ready to take out of the bowl. |
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| To do this like grandma did it, you must work with the dough right on the counter. Here I am cleaning the counter, this photo for my wife. See honey? I'm cleaning the counter. |
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| Make sure you dry the counter off really well before adding flour to it. You want the counter clean and dry. |
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| Dump some flour right onto your counter like so. Spread it out so you have a very thin layer. |
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| Now work with the dough while it's still in the bowl and then take it out and put it on your counter where you just put the flour. |
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| Now start working with the dough. Man! I mean work the dough. You need to kneed the dough with all your strength! |
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| Alright get the other hand in there and push down hard. You are going to break a sweat here. Work that dough, work it! |
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