Springerle (c. 1300)
(The ancient cookie that comes with a warning label)

Notes: These cookies need time and planning. You can buy Hartshorn and Anise oil online. The traditional molds that I bought, I found on Etsy.  

This cookie has a lot of resting time between steps – so it is a 2 day process:
Day 1 Mix, rest, roll, press and dry.
Day 2 Bake. (Bonus – your house will smell amazing for 2 days)

WARNING: Hartshorn is a toxic powder that is activated by heat and made inert – DO NOT lick spoons or eat the raw dough. (Same for pets and children) (Did you really think that I would be sharing a benign cookie recipe??? It’s not fun unless there is some sense of danger!)

Ingredients:

·       1/2 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (Hartshorn)
 (You could substitute baking powder (But WHY??))

·       2 tablespoons milk

·       6 large eggs, room temperature

·       6 cups powdered sugar (a bit over a 1lb box)
(I sifted first, and used less sugar)

·       1/2 cup butter, softened

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

·       1/2 teaspoon of anise oil
 (this is a strong black licorice flavor – you can substitute other flavors, (But WHY??))

·       2 lb. box sifted cake flour (Yes, sift it!)

·       Optional: Zest an orange or a lemon (to brighten the flavor)
(I zested ½ a lemon and added – next time would do more or none at all)

Gather all of your ingredients together.  You’ll need plenty of room, and a clean work surface for rolling.  Also plenty of room for laying out and drying the cookies.

Butter and Eggs need to be at room temp (plan for this)

Get out your stand mixer or be prepared to build some serious muscle….

Steps:

1.       In a small bowl/cup dissolve Hartshorn in milk and set aside.
(This stuff STINKS at first but the smell goes away–  and see my warning box above)

2.       Using stand mixer (Or a burly adoring man):

a.       Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored (10-20 minutes – ribbon stage)

b.       Slowly beat in the powdered sugar
(I said slowly, or the 14-year-old will walk in and ask who had the cocaine party – (true story))

c.       Add the softened butter.

d.       Add the Hartshorn and milk, salt, anise oil, and optional grated rind of lemon or orange

e.       Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the remainder of the 2 lbs. of flour to make stiff dough.

3.       Turn onto floured surface and knead in enough flour to make NOT sticky.

4.       Wrap and REST YOUR DOUGH!  (this is optional – but why not try to make this optimally? I wrapped mine in clingfilm and went to join a work conference call for an hour – but it can rest overnight in the fridge to allow the dough to develop – it is said that you can refrigerate for up to 3 days)

5.       Roll and Press on a floured surface:

a.       Roll dough into a uniform thickness depending on your molds.  (I bought a rolling pin with training wheels to help me with this – and I still screwed up – deeper molds need thicker (check) smaller more intricate molds need thinner – oops or the design stretches like a balloon – trust me on this)

b.       Press the mold firmly and straight down into the dough, then lift, cut and

c.       place the formed cookie onto a flat surface to dry – remember space them as they will puff up and need air circulation in oven. (I used parchment lined cookie sheets, a parchment lined butler’s tray and a parchment lined cutting board – yes, have parchment and plenty of flat surfaces for drying the cookies)

6.       DRY UNCOVERED (– I seem to remember Joan drying her cookies on the pool table – I used the dining room table) I left mine uncovered for 24 hours (I ended up working on my day off – had originally thought I’d just do 12 hours – but duty called)

[Time to clean up the powdered sugar covered kitchen, do the dishes, and sweep the floor]
(Or tell that handsome, burly, egg whisking, banjo playing man of my dreams to clean the kitchen (yeah – I ended up busting out the Dyson)

7.       BAKE on the same parchment-lined cookie sheets at 255° to 325° till barely golden on the bottom, 10-15 minutes or more, depending on size of cookie.  (I screwed this up and settled at 285° for our oven.  300 was too hot and it browned them (DO NOT BROWN ON TOP)

8.       Cool on cookie racks
(I do not recommend tiered cookie racks, because when you move them, one may go crashing to the floor, and you’ll have to pick them up, dust them off and laugh at the randomness of “Who will eat THOSE cookies???” – NOTE: No floor cookies were mailed to my loved ones…. or were they???)

9.       Store for up to 3 weeks to develop flavor and texture. After well cooled (I let sit for 4 hours) store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer.
(From the pros: Cookies stored in tins in a cool dry conditions are best in my opinion. Tins seal but allow a slight amount of air circulation. Springerle keep for months, and anise flavor Springerle improve with age. Orange and lemon and almond flavors have a fully develop flavor when they are baked and cooled.)

 *Yield 3 to 12 dozen. Yields vary greatly depending on the cookie molds you use.

This recipe was adapted from 2 primary sources: Mrs. Joan Hawkins, Glen Cove, NY and Ginger Haus

Links should you want to attempt:

• photo album of some of the steps
• PDF of this recipe