Springerle cookies are a traditional, anise flavored German “biscuit” we enjoy each holiday season. Traced to the 14th century, they were originally made for religious observance and celebrations throughout the year. Now, they’re a yuletide treat, especially for we licorice lovers. Each cookie has an embossed design made with an individual mold, or a specially made rolling pin.
I could not find a definitive origin of the name and the German translation of springerle yields the same word in English. One possible explanation that makes sense is a reference to how the cookies rise while baking. In German “spring” means jump, while “springt auf” translates to “springs up” and both are apt descriptions.
Springerle Cookies
German anise flavored biscuits (cookies)!
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 48 1x
Ingredients
- 1 TBL anise seeds – crushed or ground
- 3–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs – room temperature
- 2 tsp anise extract
- 2 cups fine granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease with butter
- Evenly sprinkle the crushed anise seed onto the parchment paper
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together
- In your mixer bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla and anise extract together, then slowly add the sugar
- Beat on high until foamy and doubles in volume, about 8-10 minutes
- Change to a dough hook and slowly mix in the flour until you get a thick dough. If the dough is too thin and wet, add a little more flour
- Knead the dough on a floured surface into a ball until it is a thick coherent dough
- Cut the ball in half and knead into two balls. Wrap the second ball to prevent it from drying out until ready to use
- Roll out the dough of the first ball on a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thick
- Lightly flour the dough on top and form the cookies by pressing the springerle mold or rolling pin hard enough to leave the imprint
- Knead the scraps together and repeat the process until the dough from the first ball is used up
- Cut the cookies apart with a knife, pastry or pizza cutter
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet on the crushed anise
- Repeat the process until all the dough is used
- Cover the cookies with a light cloth and allow to dry 12-24 hours
- Preheat the oven to 300
- Bake 25 minutes until the tops are crisp, but the centers remain spongy
- Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes
- Package and store in airtight container(s)
Notes
They will be pretty hard initially. Let them rest in the containers for a day or two and they will soften enough to be just right!