Springerle Cookies (Anise Cookies)

By á-2338

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon anise extract or 4 tablespoons Anise Seed
• 4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Step 1

Beat eggs till light, gradually add sugar and continue beating at a high speed until batter is thick and lemon colored. Add anise. Sift flour and baking powder and blend with egg mixture at a low speed. Cover bowl with wax paper or foil and let stand 15 minutes so dough is easier to work with. Divide into thirds. On lightly floured surface roll dough to 8 inch square, a quarter inch thick. Let rest 1 minute. Flour mold and press design, cut around design and place cookie on greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel all night (or make sure that cookies sit at least 12 hours before baking). Brush off excess flour from the cookies. Bake 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Cookies will brown on bottom, but on top as they bake. Cookies will rise, but not spread during baking. Store cookies in a tight container, place a cut apple in the jar if cookies become too hard. Lemon or almond flavoring could be substituted for anise. After cookies have cooled the design can be painted with food coloring and a fine brush, by punching a hole at the top of each cookie before they are baked, one can insert colorful ribbon and hang on Christmas tree as traditionally done.