Springerle

Springerle is a white anise-flavored German cookie with an embossed design made by pressing into a special mold onto rolled-out dough. The cookies are then left out to dry before baking. This is a hard cookie and stores well for weeks. You can easily find the rolling pin or molds in specialty baking stores. I found mine in an antique store.

Ingredients: (makes about 50 cookies)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. anise extract or oil
4½ cups Pillsbury Softasilk cake flour
Greased baking sheets
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until fluffy and light. Mix in the anise extract into the egg mixture. Add in sugar gradually and beat in to mix. Fold in the flour and extract. Mix until it forms into a dough.
2. Roll out dough onto a floured surface to about ½ inch thickness. Dust the Springerle rolling pin with some flour, remove excess flour and press the design frimly onto the dough.
3. Cut cookies apart with a pizza cutter between the guide lines and cut each piece out carefully. Place them on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and leave out to sit in a cool place overnight to dry.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place cookies in oven and quickly reduce to 300°F. Bake until cookies turn from pale to light yellow. This takes about 8-10 minutes. Do not let it turn brown.
5. Remove and let cool on wire rack. Store in airtight containers.
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