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Anise pigs

Anisgrisar (Anise Pigs)

A Swedish Christmas favourite - a sugar coated, mildly-flavoured bread, perfect for eating with, or dunking in, a warming cup of coffee.
Servings 50

Ingredients
  

For the bread100g Butter

  • 500 ml Milk
  • 100 g Caster Sugar
  • 2 tbsps Anise Seeds
  • 850 g Plain Flour
  • 12 g Quick-activating Yeast
  • 2 tsps Salt

You'll also need500ml Canola/Sunflower Oil for frying

  • 100 g Caster Sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Start off by melting the butter in a large pan. Once melted, add in the milk, sugar, and the anise seeds.
  • Heat the milk through stirring gently until quite warm, but not too hot.
  • Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl and then pour in the milk mixture.
  • Mix well to form a dough and then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes and then place into a bowl.
  • Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise for about one hour.
  • Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two halves.
  • Roll out one half to a thickness of about 1cm and cut the dough into rectangles of roughly 6cm x 3cm. Make two cuts of about 1.5cm into one of the long sides of the rectangle, spaced evenly apart, and then bend the uncut side backwards to spread out the "legs".
  • Repeat until all the dough has been prepared in this fashion. Cover the cut dough and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.
  • Heat a pan with the oil until it reaches a temperature of about 160 degrees Celsius. Carefully fry the risen dough 4 or 5 pieces at a time for a minute or two on each side until a rich golden brown.
  • Remove and allow to drain on kitchen towel for a few minutes before rolling in sugar and enjoying.

Notes

"Anisgrisar" freeze very well. If you intend on freezing them do not cover them with sugar. Freeze them as soon as they have cooled after frying. When you decide to eat them, simply defrost, warm slightly and then coat with sugar.