Place around 4-5tbsp liquorice root tea into TM bowl and mill 30 sec/speed 10. (You will not use this whole amount, but it is nearly impossible to mill a smaller amount successfully.) Set aside.
Without cleaning bowl, place molasses into TM bowl and cook 30 min/Varoma/speed 2/MC off.
Using a small sieve, put 1tsp of milled liquorice root and the aniseed essence into TM bowl and incorporate 4-5 sec/speed 5. Allow to cool slightly.
Add flour and colouring if using and mix 1 min/speed 8. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat. The mix will be extremely sticky. That is OK.
Scrape mixture out onto Silpat mat and cool enough to handle. Cut pieces using a pastry scraper and get rolling...time to revisit your childhood, make snakes until all mixture is used. Leave each piece on the Silpat mat, they will harden as the molasses cools.
Dust in cornflour if desired, as I found the mixture relaxes and becomes quite sticky again.