31 licorice recipes

Spooky Halloween spider cake shaped from two round layers with black frosting, licorice legs, and gumball eyes. A fun green gelatin surprise hides inside the body.

No-bake chocolate truffles shaped like tiny mice with almond ears, dragee eyes, and licorice tails. A fun holiday treat kids love to make and eat. Makes 2 dozen.

Halloween is coming, make these cute yet delicious cupcakes for your Halloween party. Everyone will love them.

Jack-o-lantern cookies made from peanut butter sandwich cookies dipped in orange-tinted almond bark with black licorice faces. A fun, no-bake Halloween treat kids love decorating.

Rich, full-bodied homebrew stout made with dark malt extract, roasted barley, and black patent malt for deep chocolate and coffee notes.

Critters in the Hay is a Halloween popcorn treat with pumpkin pie spice caramel corn, candy corn, licorice spiders, and gummy worms. A spooky party snack kids love.

Blueberry jam infused with Sambuca licorice liqueur and lemon zest, sealed with whole coffee beans in each jar. Italian-inspired homemade preserves with a gentle anise note.

Traditionally baked during 'Sinterklaas', a feast on 5 December (6 December in Belgium and Germany) on which little children receive gifts from the holy St. Nicholas, the partial inspiration for Santa Claus. In Germany, Pfeffernüsse are traditionally made during the Christmas season.

Vegan Bolivian-style huminta with quinoa, tofu, and winter squash blended into a savory baked casserole. Tahini and anise give the dish nutty depth and a faintly licorice finish.

A vegetarian black-eyed pea salad tossed in a bold dressing of sambuca, fresh basil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. The anise-kissed liqueur gives this bean salad an unexpected, aromatic twist you won't find anywhere else.

Pear and anise skillet tart with caramelized sugar, fresh pears arranged spoke-fashion, and a lemon-anise pastry crust baked on top then flipped. A tarte tatin-style dessert with warm licorice notes.

Lemon-anise-poppy seed muffins with whole wheat flour, soy yogurt, and orange juice. Egg-free and dairy-free bundt muffins with a unique licorice-citrus flavor.

Halloween spider cake made from two bowl-shaped cakes filled with green Jello, frosted black with licorice legs and gumdrop eyes. Oozes green goop when sliced.

Provençal chicken stew marinated overnight with fennel, saffron, tomatoes, and anise liqueur. Simmered with potatoes until fork-tender and served in warm bowls for a rustic French supper.

There is a bit of confusion about these two plants. For some reason,the fennel plant, which resembles celery with fern like tops, has been called sweet anise in produce markets. The true anise is cultivated only for its seeds. So what you see labelled "sweet anise" in your market is probably fennel, but no matter what you call it, this is a highly interesting vegetable. Every part of this aromatic plant has a taste and aroma similar to licorice. The stems are eaten like celery,uncook, or cooked and served as a vegetable (heavenly with apples in waldorf salad) available from September to May.