Italian Egg Dough - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup butter
1 1/2 fluid ounces anise flavored liqueur
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3 drops almond extract
2 1/4 cups pitted prunes
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped candied cherries
2 eggs

Preparation

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, salt, baking powder, flour and 1 cup butter or margarine and work in like a pie crust. Set aside.
Beat 4 of the eggs with milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, and vanilla.
Make a well with dry ingredients and add lemon mixture. Mix in Sambucca and the one egg.
Make ropes with dough about 4 inches long and shape into whatever you like. I usually shape into spiral shape. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Make a glaze with confectioners' sugar and flavor with the almond extract (or any other flavoring you like). Add enough milk to the confectioners' sugar to make a loose frosting. Try to frost the cookies when cool. Just dip tops into frosting and twist. Sprinkle colored candies, if you like them, while the cookies are still wet with frosting.
You can also use this recipe to make filled cookies. For filled cookies you need to roll the dough into 12 x 4 inch oblong shapes and fill with filling. To Make Filling: Poach prunes with a little water. Remove from heat and add raisins, chopped walnuts, chopped candied cherries and 2 eggs. Mix well. Add a few drops of any flavoring you like, I like lemon.
After the dough is stretched, place the filling in the middle , lengthwise and roll dough. Place on cookie sheet with seam on the bottom.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until the crust is golden (about 20-30 min.) When cool you can frost the logs and let the frosting dry then slice on the bias. (My husband loves the ends of the logs.) ENJOY!!