A blog by House on the Hill

I don’t like insulated cookie pans for baking springerle! At first I thought it was just my timer, and then maybe my oven was too hot, and then perhaps I was not paying attention. But, no, really,  I have now kept copious notes and springerle cookies really do overbake on insulated sheets. I have tested on heavy duty commercial sheet pans against insulated cookie sheets using the same time and temperature and they always overbrown on the bottoms and are too dry when I use the insulated cookie sheets.  So , while I am a fan of insulated cookie sheets for soft gooey cookies, such as classic chocolate chip cookies, I recommend that you do NOT use them for springerle baking. Stick to regular heavy duty cookie sheets for best results.

Happy Baking!

Connie

It was my great pleasure to be a guest on “Heirloom Meals” hosted by Carole Murko on Berkshire Radio.  For those of us with honored food traditions, “Heirloom Meals” offers programs sharing treasured food memories and recipes. Carole has a vision and enthusiasm for her subject matter that will entertain you and steer you down memory lane.

Thank you, Carole, for ther opportunity to be a part of  of this project!

To listen to my interview and other heirloom meals topics, use this link. There is a very long musical intro because of some technical difficulties, so keep listening to hear our conversation!    

Connie

http://heirloommeals.blogspot.com/2010/09/we-are-live-at-heirloom-meals-radio.html

Here in Chicagoland, it has been a very wet summer. Wanting to bake springerle for a photo shoot and I just cannot get a break from rain and or humidity.  If you are experiencing the same thing, I feel for you. Might have to invest in that dehydrator.

Connie

The phone rang at 6 am on Monday, June 9; I had been expecting the call. My grandmother, Nini, had died at 4 am at the age of 94. Those of you who know me, or have some familiarity with House on the Hill, will know that the Springerle recipe I share is called “Nini’s Perfection Springerle”. And, yes, this is the same Nini, short for Venita Patterson, who shared her holiday baking traditions with me.  When she stopped baking Springerle and I took over for my family, none of us had any idea that her baking influence would have such an impact on my life and its direction. She was so proud of me and so delighted that I was sharing her recipe. 

What you don’t know is that Nini was the most loving and caring grandmother to me. To appreciate her care, you must understand that she was my step-grandmother; in explanation she was married briefly to my grandfather and became the primary parent of my father and his brother. She continued her care of the two brothers after her divorce from my grandfather and was my father’s major mother figure always. And so she chose us, my father, then his wife, my mother, and then me and my two brothers. I had no concept of this as a child, but only thought of her as my grandmother. Not until many years later did I ponder and wonder at the gift of being chosen. There was no legal obligation, no moral imperative, nor social accountability requiring her to continue to nurture and cherish us.  And yet she did. She loved us and we loved her in return. 

My passion for Springerle was born out of the affection I have for Nini. How could I not love a cookie shared by a doting and favorite grandmother? Her heart was so much bigger than her 4 foot 10 inch body and I received so much more from her than a cookie legacy.  

How fortunate and wondrous it is to be the beneficiary of unconditional love. 

Rest in Peace, Nini. 

With grateful love,

Connie

For those of you who don’t like anise, I am going to try some new flavors. I have some new oils to give a whirl in the big mixer and I’ll give you some feedback as I try them.

In the meantime I am going to offer up two  tried and true flavor substitutions for anise oil.  They are lemon and orange , perfect for spring and summer, but  classic flavors that transcend season and are universally loved by most people.  In my recipe, which calls for 3/4 teaspoon of anise oil, use 3 teaspoons of lemon or orange oil and 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon or orange peel. If you do not wish to use the grated peel, use 4 teaspoons of either oil. Fruit oils are not nearly as strong as the seed oils, so do not be alarmed by the big difference in quantity. I also find that these flavors are good for immediate eating, whereas anise flavor develops in aging.

Try  and enjoy!

Sometimes, you need to try someting new even though it involves a process  steeped in  tradition and habit!

I have long used anise oil to flavor my springerle cookies and have used the technique of placing cookies on anise seed; a combination of both oil and seed placement is also a good option. I tend to prefer the stronger flavor from using anise oil and the anise seed only route requires a long aging period. I thought I was not willing to try to mess with another way, but when this idea was presented to me, I knew I had to try it. Please forgive me for forgetting your name, but you suggested I try adding ground anise seed to the dough. Thank you, thank you! The suggestion was to use anise oil and add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground anise . The addition adds a freshness to the flavor and, of course, reinforces the anise oil. To maintain the whiteness of springerle, do not use only ground anise or your cookies will be more yellow.  The use of both flavorings adds complexity without changing the traditional flavor.  I am so glad I tried this!!

If you are the person who told me to add ground anise , please let me know so that I can give you credit!!!

I was able to find ground anise at Penzy’s Spices.

I am often asked by those who have never seen or eaten a springerle, “What is a springerle cookie?.”  So for the uninitiated,  let me provide a basic decription. The traditional springerle is a dense, dry, cake-like anise flavored cookie with an embossed design printed on its top surface. It is very white on top and usually is slightly golden on its bottom surface. To maintain the  beautiful design, the dough is a very stiff dough that is relatively low in fat and sugar and has a high proportion of egg, which is beaten for a long time to aid in a lighter texture. There is a lower amount of leavening than other cookies,  so that the cookie does not burst through the top surface.

Modern alterations to the basic cookies have primarily been to the flavor, as anise is not as popular in the US as in Europe, and certainly is one of those “love it or hate it” tastes. Although anise is still my favorite( I grew up with these cookies, only in anise), I personally like the lemon and orange flavors very much, but why not try any flavor you like? The flavor is important, since the cookie is not very rich or sweet, so use good flavoring oils and be aware that they are much stronger than extracts or alcohol based flavorings.

It’s summer and you want to bake springerle for your niece’s wedding? You need  a little Christmas in July? You live in a tropical climate all year?

Then you will love this great idea for Springerle from Vicky Shoup! Vicky lives in a midwest area that has hot sticky summers, but has solved the drying problem that makes the summer making of Springerle so very tricky.  I have advised bakers in the past to turn their air conditioners down to 60 degrees and turn on the dehumidifier. This works, but uses lots of power! Vicky dries the formed springerle in her Excalibur dehydrator for several hours at the lowest setting. (She uses a longer time for larger cookies;she makes time adjustments for both size and thickness.)  The cookies should be placed on a solid sheet, not a rack. The front cover of the dehydrator needs to be ajar to allow air circulation and to keep the temperature lower. Check  cookies often to make sure they are not too warm.  If they get too warm, turn off the dehydrator and open its door.   She checks the drying cookies after several hours and insures that a “crust ” has dried on the top and that there is still an area of moist dough in the center of the bottom surface. If the cookies get too dry on the bottom, you can brush a small amount of water on the bottom of the cookies before baking. Thus, the pattern is set and she is able to bake the cookies on the same day, even in the most humid conditions.

This is a great idea and I am anxious to try this technique.   This is a bonus for  you Florida bakers who have gotten so frustrated that you are unable to successfully make Springerle.

Thank you Vicky!!

I have had quite a few questions about baking Springerle at high altitudes. I have absolutely no experience with this and would like some help from my readers. My immediate response is to cut the leavening in half and lower the baking temperature by 25 degress, but I have been informed that this is not working. Any suggestions, help, disaster stories or successes would be greatly appreciated and shared. Please – all you mountain bakers – help!!!

Thank you lots!!!  Connie