Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar and vanilla sugar and beat everything with a hand mixer or food processor for at least ten minutes until light and thick and creamy.

Briefly stir in the ground anise.

Sift the flour and carefully fold it into the egg mixture in portions until a smooth dough is formed.

Fill the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe small, even mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can use two teaspoons.

Allow the shaped anise cookies to dry at room temperature for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F) using conventional oven settings (top and bottom heat). Bake the cookies on the middle rack for about 15 minutes. They should become firm but remain as light in color as possible.

Allow the anise cookies to cool completely and then carefully remove them from the baking paper.