Springerle Cookies for Easter

I bake Springerle cookies twice an year, in winter for Christmas and in spring for Easter. "Springerle" are traditional German Christmas biscuits which were used as gifts just like these days we give each other greeting cards for the holidays. It was a matter of pride to have a unique dough mold unlike anyone else's, so the "baked greeting card" would be very special. Cookies were baked, put in jars and kept for six months. After few weeks they would become very hard, but tasty, and in order to soften them up you would have to dunk them into tea or coffee. This is why Springerle were also called "dunking cookies". Special molds for these used to be carved from pear trees. I got only three different molds like this and I love and cherish them. Maybe next Christmas I will make one more addition to my Springerle family.

I have spent two days making these beauties with the help of my family. The reason this process takes so long is the need to dry cookies for 24 hours. But it is worth it, now we have seasonal gifts for our neighbors and friends. Cookies came out beautiful and sophisticated. Real treat for spring holiday. Happy Easter to all my readers!



Note: For this recipe you need Springerle cooky molds, you can buy them at here.

Makes 4-5 trays of cookies (about 100, depend on the size of your mold)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (Hartshorn), don't use baking powder, your design will puff up
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon/orange/anise or vanilla extract
• 2 lb. all-purpose flour
• more flour as needed

Directions:

I use the same method every time, it is a perfect recipe. Please, find the information here.