Springerle Cookies Recipes

ORANGE-FLAVORED SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine hartshorn and milk in a small bowl; set aside to dissolve at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Beat eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until very pale and thick, 5 to 7 minutes. With mixer running, add 6 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat on high speed after all sugar has been added, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add hartshorn and milk mixture, butter, orange extract, and salt; mix well to combine.
• Beat flour into the mixer gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff for the mixer. Stir in remaining flour by hand. Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide into 4 pieces, shape into discs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, 3 hours or longer.
• Place springerle mold or rolling pin in the freezer. Line baking sheets with a cotton or linen cloth.
• Dust work surface with 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar. Roll one piece of dough into a circle 1/4-inch thick. Press the dough firmly into the springerle mold or rolling pin. Use a pastry cutter to cut extra dough away from the design. Transfer cookies to the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Use a delicate brush to brush off excess confectioners' sugar.
• Leave cookies out to air dry, uncovered, 12 hours or longer.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Transfer cookies onto baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart.
• Bake cookies on the middle rack of the oven, one baking sheet at time, until slightly golden on the bottom but still pale on top, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container for a week before serving, allowing the flavors to age.

TRADITIONAL SPRINGERLE

Steps:

• Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets. Sprinkle with anise seeds. Set aside until needed.
• Mix the flour and baking powder together in a bowl until well blended. Place the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat until light and frothy, 5 to 8 minutes. Slowly stir in the flour mixture until a thick dough forms.
• Working with handfuls of dough, roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over the dough. Place springerle molds onto the dough; press down hard and evenly until the mold's design registers in the dough. Remove the mold. Use a small knife to cut around each cookie, and place on prepared cookie sheets. Repeat, until all dough has been used. Cover the cookies with a lightweight cotton cloth, and allow to dry 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until tops are pale brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

ANISE COOKIES (SPRINGERLE)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. Stir in the anise oil and lemon zest. Add the flour and baking powder; mix until well blended. Cover and chill dough for 3 to 4 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Use a springerle rolling pin or board to make the designs. Cut into 1 1/2 inch rectangles, place onto a cookie sheet, and let them sit out overnight, uncovered, in a cool dry place.
• The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown. Allow cookies to cool, and store in an airtight tin for 1 week to blend the flavors.

SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Dissolve baking powder in milk in a small bowl. Whisk eggs with a mixer on high speed until very thick and pale, about 10 minutes. With machine running, slowly add sugar, beating until smooth and creamy. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in milk mixture, salt, anise extract, and lemon zest until just combined.
• Reduce speed to medium-low. Add 6 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in remaining 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, until flour is incorporated and dough is stiff.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface, and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into 4 pieces, and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Dust surface and springerle mold with confectioners' sugar. Roll out 1 disk of dough at a time to a 1/4- to 3/8-inch thickness (deeper molds will need thicker dough). Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold. Press mold firmly into dough, flip over, and gently roll over dough with rolling pin. Flip over, and press onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a knife, trim excess dough from sides of mold. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto baking sheet. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart, and placing same-size cookies on same sheet. Let stand, uncovered, for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until completely dry, about 1 hour. (They should not color; reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees if cookies start to color.) Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies will keep, unglazed and covered, for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
• Make the glaze: Mix lemon extract and a pinch of luster or petal dust in a small bowl, adding more dust as needed to get desired color. (You will need only a little dust; the mixture should remain runny). Using a very fine paintbrush, brush the tinted extract onto the flat portion of each cookie around the relief. Using a clean, damp paintbrush, remove smudges. Mix additional extract and luster or petal dust in 1/2 teaspoon increments as needed.

SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• In large mixer bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick & lemon colored.
• Continue beating while adding sugar slowly; add flour, baking powder, lemon peel & anise extract- beat together completely.
• On a well-floured board, roll out some of the dough with a plain rolling pin to about 1/2" thickness; lightly flour Springerle rolling pin & roll it firmly across dough to impress patterns (try to keep dough about 1/2" thick).
• Cut cookies apart between patterns.
• Place cookies 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets, and allow them to dry uncovered overnight (12 hours).
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 250-300° & place cookies 1/2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 25-30 minutes until firm but still white.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Store cookies in a tightly covered container with some anise seeds.
• Flavor develops fully after about 2 weeks.

SPRINGERLE V

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light with an electric mixer on high speed. Reduce speed and add the anise extract and confectioners' sugar. Continue beating at medium speed until well combined. Sift together the flour and baking powder; stir into the egg mixture, dough will be quite stiff.
• Roll out dough to 3/8 inch thickness. Imprint with a springerle board and cut apart. Place cookies onto a cookie sheet and let rest uncovered overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake cookies for 7 to 10 minutes.

MERINGUE SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place cookie molds in the freezer. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle crushed anise seeds lightly over parchment paper.
• Sift confectioners' sugar and baking powder together into a large bowl and set aside.
• Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully fold in sifted sugar, vanilla extract, and anise oil. Add flour gradually while mixing until dough is stiff.
• Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide into 3 pieces, shape into discs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, 3 hours to overnight.
• Remove discs of dough from the fridge and divide into smaller pieces based on the size of your molds. Coat each piece with confectioners' sugar and keep in the refrigerator as you roll out one piece at a time.
• Dust work surface or pastry cloth lightly with flour. Roll out piece of dough to a circle 1/4-inch thick. Dust the top of the circle lightly with confectioners' sugar. Dust the cookie mold heavily with confectioners' sugar before pressing down firmly to make clear, deep impressions. Use a toothpick or moistened brush, not a knife, to pry dough out of the mold if it sticks.
• Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut the molded cookies apart. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, dusting the molds with confectioners' sugar each time before using. Leave cookies out to air dry, uncovered, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until firm and dry but still pale, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

SPRINGERLE I

Steps:

• Beat eggs in large mixing bowl until very light.
• Add sugar and butter. Cream together until light and fluffy.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients and combine.
• Knead dough until smooth ... add more flour to get a smooth dough if necessary.
• Cover dough and allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Roll onto slightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Then roll again with springerle roller to make designs. Cut at border. Sprinkle anise seed on clean tea towel and place cookies on this. Allow to stand overnight (don't cover) to dry.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Cool completely. Store in tight tin container ... the longer they are stored, the more anise flavor they take up.