Salty Black Licorice Brownie Cookies

I just made these, after eyeing the recipe for months. Being partly Scandinavian and a licorice obsessive who loves the combination with chocolate (and has eaten many licorice and chocolate varieties from Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark), I was eager to try this recipe. That said, I deviated some, because it was late at night and I didn't have all of the ingredients. Not having dark brown sugar, I used 1 1/4 cups granulated plus three tablespoons molasses. I also thought the texture and flavor might benefit from the addition of rye flour, so added 3/4 cup of that and only 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. I only had duck eggs, so used two of those instead of chicken eggs. I only had a 6.35-ounce bar of 70% chocolate, so used that instead of the 7 ounces of 60% chocolate chips. And finally, not having ground anise, I used two teaspoons of whole anise seeds but ground them by hand with a mortar and pestle. I also don't have a #20 cookie scoop, so just used a 1/4 (measuring) cup for scooping. That worked just fine; I didn't need to form balls or flatten before baking. The cookies (of which I got 16) spread perfectly in the oven. And they were delicious and chewy. I could definitely taste the licorice and anise. The coarsely ground anise may even be an improvement, as larger pieces are more flavorful when you bite down on them. As is, I don't see any need for improvement. Thanks for creating this recipe, Jesse. I will be making these cookies again (and they are a wonderful accompaniment to jasmine tea). That said, people should be forewarned about the strength and possible side effects of licorice root powder. Those with heart disease, high blood pressure, or on certain medications should probably not eat a lot of these cookies at once. Licorice has been used medicinally for centuries, but overconsuming it can be lethal for some people.

There aren’t many baking recipes using licorice, sadly. Still in the lack of competition, this one is really, really good!! :) Dough had a great consistency and didnt stick too much when making balls (I found that if I just scoop the dough straight onto the tray, the cookies dont melt enough to even out the edges, so definitely form balls and flatten out a bit). I also agree with previous post on adding more licorice, otherwise it is too subtle for those who are licorice fans. Amazing texture!!!

This might be the best cookie I've ever made or had...and I've made and had a lot of cookies. That licorice flavor underneath the fudgey chocolate is incredibly seductive and delicious. And the texture is heavenly...at least an hour after baking them...a little crispy, a little chewy and a little gooey. It's a perfect cookie.

I like the texture of these, but would like more anise flavor. I will add anise oil or licorice oil next time to the wet ingredients instead of vanilla extract.

I think I’ve made these 4-5 times this year. They’re my favorite cookie of 2018, at least

I came, I tried, they're beautiful.

I am having trouble finding ground anise. Can I sub ground fennel or 5-spice?

These cookies are very good. The batter was more like cake batter (not thick, more of a runny consistency), but the end result of the shape of the cookies was very cookie-like. The taste was great - if you like licorice. I do not think it will convert people to liking licorice - but if you like both chocolate and licorice, you will like this combo. I would suggest adding chocolate chunks also (3/4 cup). I also added milk instead of water to the chocolate mixture, since water will seize up the chocolate. Next time I would actually add more licorice powder (maybe 1-2 tsp more). I could taste the licorice, but it was subtle. I made 24 cookies with this batch (minus all the dough I ate...lol...) I would definitly make these again.