What is SPRINGERLE?

Springerle Rolling Pin

Springerle Mold

Springerle (baked cookie)

springerle
[SPRING-uhr-lee, SHPRING-uhr-luh]

Springerle is a type of cookie from Baden-Württemberg, Germany with an embossed design made by pressing a mold onto rolled dough and allowing the impression to dry before cooking. The cookies are traditionally white and anise-flavored.



Springerle mold from the Landesmuseum WürttembergMolds are traditionally carved from wood, although plastic molds are also available. The name springerle means "little knights," and their origin can be traced back to the 14th century.

Two days before Christmas, we walked along Grant and Maiden Lane. Suddenly, I had this urge to visit SUR LA TABLE, my favorite cooking/baking shop that sells top of the line brand for your gourmet cooking and baking needs. There, we went looking for shortbread mold that I could use for my baking. We didn't find any but we were assisted gracefully by the sales person who introduced us into this springerle mold. We chatted for quite a bit and learned some information about this intriguing looking cookies, marked by the design embossed on it. She showed us her cookies that she taught in her cooking class. They were impressive but looks more to me like a 2-D sculpture more than your regular cookie. It is beige and very hard in texture. It is almost like a tamer version of a plaster of paris.

Coming home, husband went online to check out the cost of a springer mold. You wouldn't believe it but onetiny piece costs as much as 25 dollars! And multiple mold adds up from $60-$120 plus each! Would you pay that much for a cookie press? I don't know about you but for me, I told myself, "If the taste is right I'd purchase it." Otherwise, I won't gamble on it.

Curious about its taste, I baked my first set this morning at 325 F oven for 10 minutes each load. Overnight, I laid them out to air dry so the "design" details will not be erased. For lack of springerle mold, I improvised and used my POLVORON MOLD and carved out a design using my cheese grater. All I did was to press the cut springerle on the cheese grater, then presto- I had my own design! But what came out was a very simple one; plainlooking; round and oblong shaped cookies with incidental dots on each one of them. My thought was to find out about the taste of this over rated cookie and to let you know if it is worth it to buy a mold or a rolling pin for this.

The *novelty* of this cookie is the design that derives from a terra cotta or wooden mold, carved and designed by artisan trained in this craft. Otherwise, this anise flavored cookie baked in whole eggs, cake flour and confectioner (powder) sugar is nothing great for me, gastronomically speaking.

It is like a bland version ofthe Italian LICORISH BISCOTTI. But let me give it a try. As most bakers said and as history evolved, the aging process makes it all to taste a lot better and the texture much harder (I hope crunchier, too). As the story goes, you need to dunk it in your hot coffee to be able to munch it and let it melt in your mouth. Well, I will blog two weeks from now to report on how it went from this day on.

BASIC SPRINGERLE RECIPE:

MARGOT'S SPRINGERLES

4 eggs
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 1/2 "Swans Down" or cake flour, sifted 9 times (NOTE: I used the FOOD PROCESSOR for 1 minute to do this, shortcute way- PIZZICATTO)
Pinch salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. anise oil

1. Beat eggs, confectioners' sugar and flavorings at high speed for 30 minutes.

2. Sift flour and baking powder into mixture a little at a time. Do Not use flour all at once. Dough should be right consistency to roll. Extra flour can be used for rolling out dough.

3. Chill dough an hour before rolling it into cookie dough thickness. However, before rolling, separate dough in half. Use Springerle rolling pin, and cut cookies in marked squares.

4. Put closely, but not touching, on cookie sheet.

5. Store overnight in a cool place. Bake at 325 degrees, ovens may vary, for 10 minutes. Cookie should just be starting to brown at bottom and pattern is set. It is not brown on top. Do not overbake.