Preheat oven to 375

Mix sugar with crisco, anise oil, vanilla and milk. Beat in the eggs. Mix flour with baking powder and stir into the sugar mixture, add nuts and craisins; blend thoroughly. Cover and chill the dough for 2 to 3 hours.

Directly on greased baking sheets (without sides) shape dough with your hands to form flat loaves that are about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide and as long as the baking sheet. Place no more than 2 loaves, parallel and well apart, on a pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the loaves cool on pans until you can touch them, then cut into diagonal slices about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Lay slices on cut sides, close together on the baking sheets, and return to 375º oven for 15 minutes more or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks and store in airtight containers.

Makes approx. 9 dozen cookies.