Springerle cookie recipes
i've been pestered for a while to post my recipe for springerle cookies. so here they are. yes, they. i have two different recipes that i've been making for years, and they are absolutely killer. recipe #2 can be found here
first of all, if you can't stand your kitchen looking like this, don't bother.
secondly, i posted technique pictures with recipe #2, and they all apply with this recipe as well.
NOTE: i use a stand mixer. that really helps, since there are some LONG times in both of these recipes where you have to mix/blend ingredients.
#1:
beat the eggs for about 5 minutes, or until a light yellow.
add the sugar, let blend for a minute or two, and then add the butter in dabs until all is added. add the flavoring oils, and cream together for 10 to 15 minutes. yeah, that's what i said. if you don't, the cookies won't have the right consistency.
sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together, and then add slowly to the blender bowl to combine the ingredients. don't mix too long for this step. you really just want to get the dry mixed in thoroughly, and that's all.
take the dough out, knead it on a floured board just enough to make sure everything is incorporated, then wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and toss into the fridge for a while. two hours is about the minimum. overnight is cool
when the dough is cold, lay out several sheets of parchment paper, and sprinkle the crushed anise seed evenly on the paper.
roll the dough out to about 3/8" or so, sprinkle the top of the dough with powdered suger so that it doesn't stick in the impressions, and then roll again with a springerle roller. cut the cookies out along the impression edges, place them on the parchment paper, and allow to dry overnight in a safe place. if you don't have a springerle roller, just just the cookies to about 1 1/2 to 2 inch squares. impressed cookies are pretty, but it's the anise thing we're really looking for, and besides, you can't taste the impressions!
safe place is defined as somewhere the raccoons can't get into. long story, springerle-less christmas.
the next day, preheat the oven to around 300 degF. bake until just a light golden on the bottoms, around 15 minutes or so.
remove and cool on racks. bag, freeze until christmas, and enjoy.
as always, if you try this recipe, or it inspires you to try something different, please let me know how it turned out. i'm always looking for fresh and clever ideas to improve my own cooking skills and recipes.
for a complete list of my online recipes, follow the link here
first of all, if you can't stand your kitchen looking like this, don't bother.
secondly, i posted technique pictures with recipe #2, and they all apply with this recipe as well.
NOTE: i use a stand mixer. that really helps, since there are some LONG times in both of these recipes where you have to mix/blend ingredients.
#1:
- 4 eggs, room temperature. i've found that using cold eggs takes a lot of extra time to get to come to the right consistency when mixing.
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 tsp baking powder big pinch of salt, around 1/2 tsp of kosher, 1/4 tsp of table salt. i like kosher salt because it doesn't have that iodine taste
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp anise oil, or 1 tbs of anise extract
- 2 tbs anise seeds, crushed
- 1/2 tsp lemon oil extract. some recipes call this optional, i call it essential
beat the eggs for about 5 minutes, or until a light yellow.
add the sugar, let blend for a minute or two, and then add the butter in dabs until all is added. add the flavoring oils, and cream together for 10 to 15 minutes. yeah, that's what i said. if you don't, the cookies won't have the right consistency.
sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together, and then add slowly to the blender bowl to combine the ingredients. don't mix too long for this step. you really just want to get the dry mixed in thoroughly, and that's all.
take the dough out, knead it on a floured board just enough to make sure everything is incorporated, then wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and toss into the fridge for a while. two hours is about the minimum. overnight is cool
when the dough is cold, lay out several sheets of parchment paper, and sprinkle the crushed anise seed evenly on the paper.
roll the dough out to about 3/8" or so, sprinkle the top of the dough with powdered suger so that it doesn't stick in the impressions, and then roll again with a springerle roller. cut the cookies out along the impression edges, place them on the parchment paper, and allow to dry overnight in a safe place. if you don't have a springerle roller, just just the cookies to about 1 1/2 to 2 inch squares. impressed cookies are pretty, but it's the anise thing we're really looking for, and besides, you can't taste the impressions!
safe place is defined as somewhere the raccoons can't get into. long story, springerle-less christmas.
the next day, preheat the oven to around 300 degF. bake until just a light golden on the bottoms, around 15 minutes or so.
remove and cool on racks. bag, freeze until christmas, and enjoy.
as always, if you try this recipe, or it inspires you to try something different, please let me know how it turned out. i'm always looking for fresh and clever ideas to improve my own cooking skills and recipes.
for a complete list of my online recipes, follow the link here
posted by bothenook at 20:14
5 Comments:
Baking has never been one of my forte's...but I think I'll give this a try....sounds good....
Thank you for posting this and glad I found your link on a post someone did on another recipe. I've been researching and testing recipes for a couple of years, trying to replicate my mom's cookies, which never had seeds on the bottom. This as close as I've found, maybe the difference is I made them so i'm more in tune to the flavor. I would cut back a smidge on the anise next time, the flavor was a little potent for my taste. But I'm glad I found a recipe that is easy to execute, doesn't require ingredients not typically found in a regular grocery store, and yields a great cookie.
Pete
I recently found a springerle rolling pin in a box of my Mom's old kitchen utensils. I remember Mom and Dad talking about the springerle cookies they had in their childhood, but I don't remember Mom ever making them, so this pin has been unused for the past 60 years, at least. I cleaned it off, selected your recipe over several that I found online, and made a batch over the weekend. They are delicious, and I will be making them again.
I don't have a stand mixer, so I endured the tedium of standing there mixing the eggs and sugar for a half hour, but it was worth it. And it was a chore to find anise oil; none of the supermarkets near me carried it, but I finally found it in an arts and crafts store that carries candy-making supplies.
Glad you guys found the recipe to work for you. Finding an old roller, that's a treasure! Anise oil is difficult to find, but the best bet is to go to someplace like King Arthur Flour and order it on line. I usually get mine around August, since Anise Oil is a hot commodity around the holidays and may not be available.
If you need to make a substitution using Anise Extract, the ratio is 4 extract to 1 oil. Pretty much works for most of the oils/extracts you may run across. These cookies really benefit from a couple of weeks sealed in ziplok bags to let the flavors meld and develope. I usually make springerle sometime shortly after Thanksgiving.
Enjoy!
Yeah, I've seen directions that say to freeze them for 2-3 weeks, and others say to store at room temperature for 2-3 weeks. I put 1/3 of them in the freezer, and the other 2/3 on the counter. We'll see which batch tastes better when Christmas rolls around.
Post a Comment
<< Home