Every year at Easter time, my mom, grandma, and aunts would make a batch of slightly sweet rolls flavored with anise seeds which we called panutsi (pronounced pah-NOOT-see, the middle syllable rhymes with foot). The ladies sometimes called this Easter Bread. I’m not aware of them being made by anybody else, so I think it is safe to say that this a family recipe. I don’t know if the crosses cut on top serve a real purpose. My theory is that they have some religious significance.

12 cups flour
2-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup anise seeds
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup margarine

2 cups warm milk
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks

3/4 cup warm water
3 packs regular yeast
1 pack rapid rise yeast
1 tsp sugar

Begin warming the milk over low heat. Combine the flour, 2-1/4 cups of sugar, anise seeds, salt, Crisco, and margarine by repeatedly cutting the ingredients like when making a pie crust. Be forewarned: This takes some muscle and a pastry blender (sometimes called a dough blender) helps immensely!

Beat the 4 eggs and the extra 4 yolks together, then add them to the warmed milk. Add the milk/egg combination to the previously mixed dry ingredients. Blend thoroughly. At this point, the dough will still be a little dry.

Using a 2-cup sized measuring cup, dissolve the remaining 1 tsp of sugar and the four packs of yeast in the warm water. Stir and let it activate. The mixture is ready when it has risen near the top of the cup. Add the yeast to the flour mixture and knead well. A little oil on the countertop can help make this smoother with less sticking.

Form the dough into a ball, put it in a large pan and cover with a clean towel. Set the pan in a warm place and let the dough rise for 2 hours. Punch the dough back down, re-cover and let rise for another hour. Remove from the pan and cut into thirds. Form into balls and return them to the pan and let rise for one final hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the three large dough balls and divide each into 12. Roll these pieces into balls the size of tennis balls or large oranges. Place on cookie sheets and flatten them slightly. With a sharp knife cut a cross into the top about 1/4-inch deep.

Bake 15-20 minutes. They are ready to come out when the tops just begin turning golden. The bottoms should be light brown, not dark. If the outside is hard and crispy, they are overdone. The accompanying photo shows sheets of unbaked and perfectly baked panutsi.

After they have cooled, store the panutsi in plastic containers or bread bags to keep them from drying out.

Yield 3 dozen rolls. Best served warm, sliced in two, and buttered. Great with milk, hot tea, or coffee.