Star anise might be the most unappreciated, underused spice. If you have a jar of these dark brown, flower-shaped seed pods in your spice rack, chances are, you probably don’t know what the heck to do ...

This lovely shortbread is spiked with anise seed, an addition that offers an alluring licorice edge. The recipe is from award-winning cookbook author Deborah Madison. She writes about the shortbread ...

Star anise is a dried, eight-pointed star-shaped seed pod harvested from a tree native to China and Vietnam. The spice has a taste similar to the licorice flavor of the regular anise seed. Star anise ...