It is possibly because of confusion with a different old word - lickerish.
www.thefreedictionary.com/lickerish
"lick·er·ish (lĭk′ər-ĭsh) adj.
1. Lascivious; lecherous.
2. Greedy; desirous.
3.
a. Archaic Relishing good food.
b. Obsolete Arousing hunger; appetizing.
[Middle English likerous, perhaps from Old French lecheor, lekier; see lecher.]"
www.thefreedictionary.com/liquorice
"liquorice (ˈlɪkərɪs; -ərɪʃ) or licorice n
1. (Plants) a perennial Mediterranean leguminous shrub, Glycyrrhiza glabra, having spikes of pale blue flowers and flat red-brown pods
2. (Cookery) the dried root of this plant, used as a laxative and in confectionery
3. (Pharmacology) the dried root of this plant, used as a laxative and in confectionery
4. (Cookery) a sweet having a liquorice flavour
[C13: via Anglo-Norman and Old French from Late Latin liquirītia, from Latin glycyrrhīza, from Greek glukurrhiza, from glukus sweet + rhiza root] "