Best Traditional Springerle Recipes

OLD COUNTRY SPRINGERLE

Steps:

• Beat confectioners' sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until thick.
• Place anise seed in a bowl. Pour water over anise seed into bowl and let mixture sit to steep, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat anise mixture and lemon zest into egg mixture.
• Sift flour and measure again. Sift flour once more together with baking powder. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat until dough forms. Divide dough into flat rounds, wrap each in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll dough out on a flat surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar to 1/4-inch thickness. Roll dough with a springerle roller to shape cookies. Repeat with remaining dough rounds. Cover cut cookies with a towel and let dry for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Transfer to baking sheets.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

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 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.