Spice in springerle cookies (5)

I believe the answer is:

anise

(Other definitions for anise that I've seen before include "Plant giving ouzo flavour" , "Plant providing flavour similar to liquorice" , "Herb with aromatic seeds" , "Plant with liquorice-flavoured seeds" , "Plant with seeds used as flavouring" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

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