Springerle VI

Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 48
Yield: 48 servings

Description

Soft at first, these cookies harden into 'dunkers' after about 3 weeks. (Yes, they keep a long time!) They need a mold for the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch cookie, but I bet that they can be made by simply cutting them out. You can substitute other flavorings for anise - lemon and almond are good.

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon anise extract
4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions

1 In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Stir in the anise extract. Sift together the flour and baking powder; fold into the egg mixture. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
2 Divide dough into 3 parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Flour a springerle mold or rolling pin, and press the design into the dough. Cut apart the cookies and place them 1 inch apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand overnight.
3 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Dust excess flour from cookies.
4 Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.