Springerle Cookies

Holiday/Special Occasions

Springerles are shaped with a rolling pin or mold used to stamp designs onto the cookies!

5 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons anise seeds

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored using an electric mixer, about 10 minutes. Gradually add sugar and continue beating for another 10 minutes. Add lemon zest, baking powder and 2 cups of flour. When mixture becomes a soft dough, work in remaining flour. Divide dough into thirds and cover each with plastic wrap. Place dough, rolling pins, molds, pastry board and cutter in refrigerator for 3 hours. Anytime between 3 and 24 hours, remove the dough and equipment from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the pastry board and rolling pins with flour. Using a standard rolling pin, roll out dough to ¼ -inch thickness. Using the springerle rolling pin, firmly press imprint into the dough. Cut cookies apart with a pie trimmer or knife. Using a spatula, place on a lightly floured cookie sheet, cover with a tea towel or wax paper and let dry for at least 12 hours at room temperature. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325-degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper. Lightly sprinkle on anise seeds. Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake until pale yellow in color, about 15 to 18 minutes. Bake only one cookie sheet at a time. Remove cookies and dry on a wire cooling rack. Place cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between layers and allow to mellow for two weeks.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Carolyn Gass Hardimon, M. S. Home Economist