German Anise Cookies called Springerle.
 

Did anyone else grow up eating the German Anise Christmas Cookie called Springerle? Our German grandmother made them every year and they were as hard as rocks on purpose and they were imprinted with a rolling pin with designs. I am told that they are Austrian and Bavarian in origin and their name comes from knights springing from their horses.


http://www.mybestgermanrecipes.com/w...springerle.jpg

Springerle were my father's favorite cookie. Mom made then every year and even had the special rolling pin. They were very good just out of the oven, but would become harder with each passing day. I often wondered how my father didn't break a tooth when eating one!

I have very fond memories of my grandmother's Christmas cookies. She made butter cookies, Vanillekipferln, Pfeffernusse, Springerle and more. I also loved her apple pie, her pumpkin pie and her mincemeat pie. Man, could she cook. My grandfather supplied the Manhattans and the Sauternes wine.

I also loved it when my father brought home a box of chocolate-covered Christmas-tree cookies from Rudy's Bakery in Ridgewood, Queens.

Yes, and a few other types of cookies. My mother also made mince pies and a wonderful fruitcake both of which my daughter continues to make. One of my uncles baked stollen and gave it out among family.

My mother's large family always got together for Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, as well. My mother's mother was English/Scottish and her father was by trade a baker and 100% German so she absorbed traditions from both ancestral cultures.

Some of her sisters served sauerkraut as a side dish at both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners - yuk!

Oh did we ever ! It was a BIG deal in our house, of all the cookies, the Springerle were the queens. No anise flavoring from stores, went to our compounding independent pharmacist (before Walgreen on every corner obviously) for only pure oil. The eggs had to come from nearby farm, no store eggs... as I said, it was a BIG DEAL. They were stored then in huge crocks on the "summer porch" and brought out for Christmas. I am fortunate enough to have three of the original molds my great grandmother brought with her from Germany when they immigrated. I have original recipe....mine have NEVER been as good, but I have been able to get the "high puff", not the flat ones you get even at "German" bakeries ! And oh, the STOLEN, WOW, ours were ALWAYS made with an entire roll of almond paste and as kids we got a slice and went right for the "almond paste hole" in the slice.....:clap2::clap2:

The idea of the aged springerle (dried) was as a dipping cookie, like a biscotti in the Italian culture, but our family always "wet" aged ours too so we had plates of the "soft" ones for Christmas. This was usually done with waxed paper over the tops of the cookies which were in deep crocks, then on top of the wax paper thin slices of oranges, or even apples, and then a heavy plate on top.

I have a springerle rolling pin and use it to make shortbread cookies.

Got them at the Christmas market in Amberg once! Great with gluewein!

Rudy’s had the best baked goods, really miss them.

My mother was of German descent. They only spoke German in her grade school in Illinois, but her English was perfect. We always had German cookies at Christmas.

Yes, we still do.

Aaaahhh Yes ! Orange slices, cinnamon, cloves, sugar....... red wine..... smells like Christmas !

My great grandmother recipe is in my family’s book in her hand writing, in German. Two versions, one the way most German families made them, converting to a hard cookie as they aged,

The second recipe when sugar was not available, honey was used. The family raised bee’s and honey is in almost every recipe in the book.

Problem is when using honey in any cookie recipe, they never get hard. I hate soft cookies. I have her original individual molds, which was the only way cookie was made in her kitchen. But in her 90s she started using a rolling pin carved by someone in the village. It was easier then molding each cookie.

Soft springerle cookies
 

To soften the cookies put them in an airtight container with a slice of apple, lemon or orange. Change the fruit every few days. After about 5 days they will be perfect.

They are my favorite, but hard to find good ones. I’d love a good recipe for them. I’d try it for sure.