Directions: |
Directions:Spray 3 or 4 large baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside. (Don’t use parchment or silicone baking mats—you need the spray so the anise sticks to the cookies.)
Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Or use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer.) Beat on medium until very light—5 to 10 minutes.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn mixer to low. Beat in the baking powder and salt to combine, then gradually beat in the flour until a soft dough forms.
Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and, working with about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Dust the top of the dough with powdered sugar and press springerle molds into the dough, then use a paring knife to cut out each cookie.
Sprinkle your baking sheets with a generous amount of anise; I just sprinkle some everywhere I intend to put a cookie, rather than sprinkling the anise all over the sheets.
Arrange your cookies on top of the anise about an inch apart (or a little less—the cookies don’t really spread much). Continue this process with the rest of the dough.
Once you’ve used all the dough, cover each baking sheet with a tea towel and let sit on the counter overnight (at least 8 hours or up to about 14).
Preheat the oven to 250. Bake cookies 25 to 35 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are light golden brown; the tops should still be white.
Cool cookies completely, then transfer to airtight containers and store at room temperature for several weeks. Be sure the cookies are fully cooled before you put them in containers or they’ll sweat and no one likes a damp cookie.
(You can eat them right away but they get better with age. My grandma made them around Thanksgiving, then stored them until Christmas and served them then.) |
This recipe for Grandma Mary's Springerle Cookies is from