Cooking Lesson #961: Traditional German Springerle Cookies

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? It’s only just 14 days until Christmas when Santa attempts to slip down the chimney. What kind of cookies are you going to bake for the fat man in the red suit? He just loves his cookies! I always try to honor the occasion with German Springerle cookies which can be traced back to at least the 14th century.
 
Springerle cookies originated in the German province of Swabia. The name springerle may refer to the cookies springing up (rising) in the oven or to a leaping horse, which was a popular mold design. These cookies were originally made to honor Church Holy Days but are now most associated with the Christmas season.
 
Springerle cookies are traditionally leavened with hartshorn (baker's ammonia) and flavored with anise or lemon. Today we use baking powder to get the rise.  Springerle cookies are traditionally stamped with wooden molds but can also be stamped with carved rolling pins. Some of the earliest molds depict Bible stories, while later molds include scenes of everyday life, seasonal motifs, people and animals.

The Springerle dough is made, refrigerated overnight, rolled out, molded and cut, transferred to a cookie sheet, and left to dry overnight. The cookies are then baked at a low temperature. Springerle cookies make a perfect gift around the holidays or to hang on a Christmas tree. They are also hard and pale-colored, making them perfect for decorating and dunking in coffee.
 
Here's my traditional Springerle cookie recipe for making those amazing Christmas cookies that everyone raves about. These German cookies are crispy on the outside and somewhat chewy in the center with a light delicate anise flavor.
 
Ingredients 
4 large eggs
1 pound sifted confectioners' sugar
8 cups all-purpose flour, sifted twice
2 teaspoons baking powder
 
Directions

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl until foamy.
2. Mix in the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl and beat well.
3. Measure 8 cups of flour and add the baking powder. Sift the mixture twice.
4. Add enough flour mixture until you have a stiff yet smooth dough.
5. On a floured surface, roll out pieces of dough, about a half inch thick.
6. Lightly flour the mold and then press mold on the dough to make a good impression, lift the mold from the dough; carefully cut out cookies using a sharp knife or pastry cutter,
7. Brush excess flour off cookies with a dry pastry brush, and let set uncovered on a floured wooden board such as a bread board at room temperature until the next day.
8. The next day, grease a cookie sheet pan (or cover with parchment paper).
9. Lightly sprinkle some roasted anise seeds over the baking sheet in which the cookies will be baked.
10. Lightly moisten bottom of cookies by gently pressing cookie down on a damp kitchen towel; lay cookies an inch apart on the anise seeds and bake in a slow to moderate oven (300°F) to a light tan color.
11. The bottoms of the cookies will be a light brown with little bumps or "feet" while the tops will be pale when done.
12. Cool on a wire rack until hard.
13. You can store cookies in a sealed container for several weeks before eating.

ChefSecret:  Depending on the type of cookie mold used, this traditional Springerle cookie recipe will usually make six impressions or cookies 1-1/2 inches square, leaving the embossed design, or impression of a small figure or flower on top of the cookie surface when the dough is pressed on the form. Mold impressions are easier to make if the dough is chilled beforehand. Once formed, place the cookies on a lightly floured baking sheet overnight at room temperature. Drying the dough overnight will preserve the delicate detail of the mold's impression during baking, leaving a good imprint. Anise tends to be the traditional flavor enjoyed, but it's not the preferred flavoring for anyone who's not fond of licorice. Lemon, orange, almond, raspberry and rum are among other flavors used.

Quip of the Day:  I tried to start an online bakery, but I accidentally deleted all my cookies.
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