Weigh, cube the butter & leave to soften. Cut about 1cm (less than ½ inch) pieces & the smaller surface area will soften & come to room temperature quicker. If you forget to take the butter out, here’s a video hack I reviewed to soften butter in about 10 minutes. Add the sugar to the butter in your mixing bowl, give a light mix together & then 'Cream' together with a stand/hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Line baking sheets/trays with baking/parchment paper & grease in place if the trays do not have a lip, (or you could lose your biscuits).
Sieve the flour, cornflour/corn starch, pinch of salt & anise, into the sugar/butter mixture & briefly mix in by hand, don’t use a mixer.
Using a pastry cutter/pastry blender, work the flour into the mixture, until it resembles large breadcrumbs. Alternatively do this ‘cutting in’ process, using 2 butter knives, or by rubbing through your fingertips. The dough should be a very crumbly mixture at this stage. Using the sides of the bowl or on top of baking/parchment paper, gently knead the dough just until it comes together.
Place between 2 sheets of floured paper & roll out to at least ½cm (5mm or ⅕ ") thick. Use a flour dipped cutter & cut out as many biscuits as you can.
Transfer with a palette knife to prepared tray, (not need for a gap in-between at this stage, so you have less trays to fit in the fridge). Make holes with a fork all over the surface of the dough, going about ⅓ to ½ way through.