When I married into the Callahan family and met my first springerle cookie at holiday time, I thought the family might be a little balmy in the crumpet. They actually liked these things! The second year I gave them a try again, and found them not quite as unpleasant as I had the year before. At the close of year 3, I was hooked! I cannot abide black licorice, yet I adore the flavor of these cookies heavily laced with anise extract. I've taken the liberty to omit the anise seeds from Grandma Boo's recipe, because they seem to me unnecessary for flavor or performance. If you want, sprinkle your cookie sheets with anise seeds before placing the cookies on them--that's where the seeds belonged in the recipe. There are other amendments I make, so look for those following the recipe.
Grandma's Springerles
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp anise extractGrease cookie sheets. (Opt. Sprinkle with anise seeds.) Beat eggs with sugar in bowl until fluffy-light and thick--about 5 minutes; add anise extract. Stir in flour and soda a third at a time, blending well to form stiff dough. Roll out, third at a time, to ¼" thick. Cut with cookie cutter and place 1" apart on cookie sheets. Let cookies stand uncovered overnight to dry. Bake in 300º oven for 15 minutes or until firm and dry. Remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
Grandma Boo's recipe calls for the dough to be rolled using a springerle roller, then cut apart at the markings. I don't have a springerle roller (and most people don't), so I've changed it to be rolled and cut with cookie cutters. My daughter likes to color pink the otherwise white dough and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter. We've even rolled the white dough and cut it apart with a table knife, caring not one whit what the results looked like. You wouldn't want to serve those puppies at a dinner party. Pfft! We don't let the cookies dry overnight. We mix, cut, bake, and eat--all in one fell swoop. By the way, this is a no-fat recipe.
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