Springerle

Nothing says "holiday season" more to me than springerle cookies. They are a traditional German cookie, and are stamped using either a mold or a rolling pin. I love their intricate images, but was a little intimidated by them. This year, I finally decided to try making some. I consulted a friend who makes sprigerle every year, and has experience baking them in this climate. She recommended letting them dry for 24 hours and to bake at a super low temperature - 225 degrees F.


I found molds on the House on the Hill site. The hardest part was choosing among all the beautiful prints. I already am planning out which ones to purchase next. While browsing, I also ordered hartshorn (baker's ammonia) and some flavor oil. Anise is the traditional flavor for springerles, but I'm not a fan of licorice. The "bitter" almond flavoring I got is much stronger than regular almond extract, but the bitter label is a bit misleading.

The dough was easy to work with. Stamping and cutting the cookies was time consuming, but not difficult. I used a small paintbrush to dust the mold with powdered sugar to keep the dough from sticking.

The only problem was with my oven. It runs hot, and I had trouble maintaining a low temperature. If the oven is too hot, the cookies puff up so much that the images fade considerably. I ended up keeping the oven door open a little during the baking to prevent this. I figured it was better to err on the side of caution and bake them at a lower temperature.


Springerle Cookies
Adapted from houseonthehill.net

½ tsp baker’s ammonia (hartshorn) or baking powder
2 Tbs milk
6 large eggs, room temperature
6 c powdered sugar
½ c (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp salt
½ tsp anise oil (or almond oil)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 lbs cake flour, plus more for rolling

Dissolve hartshorn in milk and set aside for 60 minutes. Beat the eggs until thick and light yellow – 10 to 20 minutes. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the butter. Add the milk mixture, salt, anise oil, and zest. Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the rest by hand to make a stuff dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface (use the cake flour) and knead in enough flour to make a good print without sticking. Dust the mold with powdered sugar use a soft brush to get in all the crevices. Transfer cut cookie dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. You can place the cookies close together. Let the cookies “dry” for 24 hours. Drying the cookies helps preserve the image during baking.

Bake for 225˚F for 20-25 minutes. Check frequently to make sure the cookies don’t puff up. If they do, keep the oven door cracked open and continue baking until the cookies are barely golden on the bottom.