Italian Cookies

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup margarine (melted) or oil
3 tablespoons baking powder
½ cup milk
6 cups flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon anise oil

For the filling:

1 quart grape jam
3 cups chopped walnuts
Cinnamon, allspice, orange zest (to taste)

Directions:

Beat eggs, melted margarine (or oil) and sugar together. Add anise oil. Sift together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to egg mixture alternately with half the milk. Put dough on bread board and continue to knead until silky – adding remaining milk if needed. Take a piece of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured board to the size of about a 5x7 rectangle. This recipe will make approximately four rectangles.

Cover entire piece of dough with a layer of grape jam and nuts. Sprinkle cinnamon, allspice and orange zest over the jam mixture. Fold one side of the dough up over the center and fold the other side over the center so that there are no gaps. Pinch the ends of the rolls. Place the dough seam side down on a wax paper coated cookie sheet. Repeat process for remaining dough rectangles.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice when cooled.