Springerle Cookies
Springerle cookies are a traditional, anise flavored German “biscuit” we enjoy each holiday season. Traced to the 14th century, they were originally made for religious observance and celebrations throughout the year. Now, they’re a yuletide treat, especially for we licorice lovers. Each cookie has an embossed design made with an individual mold, or a specially made rolling pin.
I could not find a definitive origin of the name and the German translation of springerle yields the same word in English. One possible explanation that makes sense is a reference to how the cookies rise while baking. In German “spring” means jump, while “springt auf” translates to “springs up” and both are apt descriptions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 TBL anise seeds – crushed
- 3–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs – room temperature
- 1–1/4 tsp anise extract
- 2 cups fine granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease with butter
- Evenly sprinkle the crushed anise seed onto the parchment paper
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together
- In your mixer bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and anise extract together, then slowly add the sugar
- Beat on high until frothy and doubles in volume 8-10 minutes
- Change to a dough hook and slowly mix in the flour until you get a thick dough. If the dough is too thin and wet, add a little more flour
- Knead the dough on a floured surface into a ball until it is a thick coherent dough
- Cut the ball in half and knead into two balls. Wrap the second ball to prevent it from drying out until ready to use
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thick
- Form the cookies by pressing the springerle mold or rolling pin hard enough to leave the imprint
- Knead the scraps together and repeat the process until the dough from the first ball is used up
- Cut the cookies apart with a knife, pastry or pizza cutter
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet on the crushed anise
- Repeat the process until all the dough is used
- Cover the cookies with a light cloth and allow to dry overnight or 12-24 hours
- Preheat the oven to 300
- Bake 25-30 minutes until the tops are crisp, but the centers remain spongy
- Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes
- Package and store in airtight container(s)
