In a small sauce pan, combine the water, anise, and canela. Bring to a boil; then, turn down the heat, and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat and allow to fully cool.

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, spread out the canela sticks (cinnamon), and reheat in the oven for three minutes. This makes it simpler to grind the canela. Grind sugar and warmed canela sticks into a fine powder in a molcajete or food processor. Set aside in a bowl until you're ready to sprinkle cookies.

In a large basin, combine all the ingredients for the dough and knead it for 15 minutes. Then, add 1 cup of tea, 1/4 cup at a time (depending on the temperature, you might not need all the tea), and keep kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Combine thoroughly, then remove dough from bowl, divide dough into fourths, roll out to 14 inch thick on a floured board, cut out cookies with your preferred cookie cutter, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Remove from oven, let cool for a while, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.