Wine Nut Christmas Cookies

"I was a young mother and signed up for an evening sewing class and the ladies decided to have a Christmas cookie exchange," she said. "This cookie was one of the best I had ever tasted and I immediately asked for the recipe. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the lady that brought them, but wish I knew to be able to thank her and let her know they have become my traditional Christmas cookie that I have to make every year! I have not seen this cookie recipe in any cookbook's over the years. They freeze well also. My daughter found a little bag of them left over from last Christmas in her freezer and she popped them in the microwave for a few seconds and she said they were just like fresh baked. "I used to take a hammer and a plastic baggie to the basement and pound the anise seed on the cement floor," Lynda said. "This became a Christmas tradition that my four children will always remember. This is the first year I did not use the hammer to crush the anise seed. I gave in and used a more modern method of crushing the anise seeds."

½ Cup Margarine (I use Fleischmanns original)
1/3 Cup Sugar
One Egg
1 teaspoon crushed anise seed
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ Cup Sherry wine
1 Cup flour
¾ Cup Ground Walnuts
Thin Confectioners frosting

Cream margarine and sugar, add egg, beat well, add anise seed, lemon juice and wine. Stir in flour. Mix well. Put in refrigerator about one hour and roll into balls about the size of walnuts. Roll in nuts. Bake at 375 degrees on greased cookie sheet about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool and Frost. (drizzle thin confectioners frosting on cookies) Add cut up candied cherries for decoration. I always double this recipe!