Meet the new love in my life. Springerle. They are dense little German cookies, a silky soft dough is imprinted with an image and left out to dry overnight. This hardens the image so that it will maintain all of its little details as it bakes. You can get the molds in all manner of designs, the one I used was ordered from King Arthur Flour, but is made by House On The Hill. (Wish I had ordered from them, for the same price they sell the exact one, but with 2 additional images!)
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making them for some time now, and I got very worried when I was making my first batch. I used King Arthur Flour’s recipe and it was like a brick. I couldn’t even roll it out! After a quick call to Ute, my mom’s German friend, I had another batch going that looked MUCH better. Sure enough, when I baked them the next day they turned out perfectly.
I love how cooking and art meet so well at times, and Springerle is definitely one of those times.
I keep daydreaming about making a trip to Germany just to buy enough Springerle molds to fill a large suitcase! (I’m sure that will happen soon, just after I attain the Nobel Prize)
SPRINGERLE
4 large eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
1 pound flour
2 tsp anise*, optional (extract, oil, or flavoring)
Beat eggs and sugar well, until they turn into a light and airy cream.
Add the flour and anise, mix until smooth. Rest dough for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 parts. The dough will feel sticky.
Lightly dust dough with flour, it should feel silky.
Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.
Dust mold lightly with flour and press into dough to leave impression. Cut out using either a knife, pizza wheel, or decorative wheel. If your image is a circular one, you can cut out using a biscuit cutter or fluted circle, etc.
Carefully place cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Don’t spray with cooking spray or anything)
Leave cookies to air-dry for 8 to 24 hours, depending on size.
Bake at 300 degrees for 12-18 minutes ( again, depending on size)
Cookies should become pale golden on bottom but the top shouldn’t get any color on them.
As they bake, you should see “little feet” form, that’s where the cookies rise up at the bottom.
*You could also substitute lemon flavoring or extract, or really any flavoring you want.
Don’t forget the 2 most important ingredients in Springerle.. Time and Love!
Don’t forget the 2 most important ingredients in Springerle.. Time and Love!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 pound flour
- 2 tsp anise*, optional (extract, oil, or flavoring)
Instructions
- Beat eggs and sugar well, until they turn into a light and airy cream.
- Add the flour and anise, mix until smooth. Rest dough for 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 4 parts. The dough will feel sticky.
- Lightly dust dough with flour, it should feel silky.
- Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Dust mold lightly with flour and press into dough to leave impression. Cut out using either a knife, pizza wheel, or decorative wheel. If your image is a circular one, you can cut out using a biscuit cutter or fluted circle, etc.
- Carefully place cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Don't spray with cooking spray or anything)
- Leave cookies to air-dry for 8 to 24 hours, depending on size.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 12-18 minutes ( again, depending on size)
- Cookies should become pale golden on bottom but the top shouldn't get any color on them.
- As they bake, you should see "little feet" form, that's where the cookies rise up at the bottom.
- *You could also substitute lemon flavoring or extract, or really any flavoring you want.
- Don't forget the 2 most important ingredients in Springerle.. Time and Love!
House on the Hill, http://www.houseonthehill.net, has the BEST selection of springerle molds anywhere! Great article and mold!