I am apparently not the only person who remembers these from childhood.

I am apparently not the only person who remembers these from childhood. Last year I made my own anise sugar cookies, and they were pretty good. But something close to the original cookies is back?

It's an insane and convoluted story, and why I didn't find any of this last year searching online, I don't know, but there are some seriously obsessed people out there. For which I am grateful, because now I know that there is probably something in the cookies (one site posited nutmeg) in addition to the anise that gave them their flavor.

It seems the cookies are not exactly the same as the ones from decades past? For one thing, they seem to lack ridges, which was a key design element. Plus, now I look at ingredients and they have HFCS and bad for you oils (but no trans fats! - sad advertising). However, they may be sold in this area, so I may have to get some, anyway. If I can find them.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20101211/ISSUE01/312119982/tis-the-season-for-santas-favorite-cookies-for-chicago-traditionalists
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20101211/ISSUE01/312119982/tis-the-season-for-santas-favorite-cookies-for-chicago-traditionalists