Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roast the nuts on a baking sheet until they are fragrant and beginning to color. (If using hazelnuts, gather them in a towel, rub to remove some of the skin and pick out the nuts.) Finely chop 1/4 cup of the nuts, coarsely chop the remainder.

Slightly cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg and anisette.

In a separate bowl, combine the nuts, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and anise seeds. Add to the butter mixture.

Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into logs. Add a little flour to the counter if the dough starts to stick.

Put the logs on a baking sheet and leave space between them. They will spread considerably. Bake until slightly brown and firm on the surface. About 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the pan if they are not browning evenly. Do not underbake.

Slice the cookies on an angle with a serrated knife. Put them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Let them cool on a rack and store in an airtight container. These keep really well and taste even better a few days later.