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Title: German Springerle
Categories: Cookie German
Yield: 4 Servings
| 4 | Eggs | |
| 2 | c | Sugar |
| 4 | c | All purpose flour |
| 1 | ts | Baking powder |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | tb | Freshly grated lemon peel |
| 1 | c | Confectioner's sugar |
| 4 | tb | Anise seeds |
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl at high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Beat in sugar, 1/4 c at a time. Continue beating until mixture is very thick and pale, about 8 minutes.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel. Work in with hands or wooden spoon. Gather dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Sprinkle pastry board and plain and springerle rolling pins with confectioner's sugar. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part 1/2 inch thick with plain rolling pin. Roll dough slowly and firmly to 1/4 inch thickness with springerle rolling pin. Cut cookies apart. Place 1 inch apart on each of 3 greased baking sheets which have been sprinkled with anise seeds. Dry uncovered at room temperature at least 8 hours.
Heat oven to 325 F. Bake in center of oven until cookies are firm and light brown on bottoms, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Reserve anise seeds remaining on baking sheets. Store cookies with reserved seeds and a slice of bread in airtight container. Change bread often. Allow cookies to mellow 2 weeks. Store at room temperature no longer than 1 month.
HISTORY: The word springerle is derived from a German dialect and means "small jumping horse". The horse was sacred to Wotan, King of Nordic gods. In pagan rites it was customary to sacrifice live animals. Those who were impoverished (or just frugal) were allowed to offer instead bread or cookies in the shapes of animals. Wooden molds were used to emboss images of animals, and eventually images of people, birds, fruit, etc.
Springerle rolling pins and boards are available in many hardware and department stores. These pale, hard cookies, sometimes called "dunking cakes", have a pleasant lemony-anise flavor. For a unique and fragrant gift, fill a large sifter or basket with springerle, or arrange them on a shiny new baking sheet or cooling rack.
Source: Sphere The Betty Crocker Magazine Dec 1972 Typed by Vern Wall 1997
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