Do you ever have a back ache the next day after pressing your springerle cookies? [click to continue...]
Don’t melt your tools!
This is a piece of infromation that might be useful……anise oil will MELT your plastic measuring spoons, so be sure to use metal measuring spoons! And yes, I speak from experience! I really prefer oils over flavorings for springerle, as they have a much cleaner taste. The oils are also much more intense, so you need far less oil than flavoring.
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Hartshorn??? What’s that???
Yes, it’s the ingredient that stumps you. Hartshorn is also known as baker’s ammonia and ammonium carbonate. It is an old time leavening that literally used to be made from ground deer horn. Hart is the German work for deer and that is how it is so named. It is not commonly found in everyday groceries. Years ago I would purchase hartshorn (and also anise oil) at a pharmacy; that was back when pharmacies did compounding and mixing right in their shops. Not something easily found these days. Thus, many people started substituting baking powder in their springerle. I still really like hartshorn as it produces a fluffier, lighter and softer texture in springerle. Some springerle lovers grew up with the baking powder version and actually prefer the harder cookie that is the result….and that’s just fine.
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No Springerle Molds in Boston
I just returned from a business/pleasure trip to Boston. While touring the Freedom Trail and exploring the city on foot, I popped my head into as many antique stores as possible. I am always hoping to stumble upon a springerld mold to add to my collection and will willingly cart it around. No luck! It is also my habit to check out the offerings of local bakeries to see if they offer up any German pasteries. Alas – no springerle – although not really the right time of year to find them.
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Passion for Springerle
Is their unique taste, pristine beauty, or family tradition that makes springerle so special? It’s all of those and I’d have a tough time deciding which of these factors is number one on my list of springerle qualities. In fact, please don’t ask me to decide!
And so, here we begin a journal for all who have a passion for springerle. I’ll share stories, techniques and comments about these cookies that are too pretty to eat. But eat them we must, because their dense cake-like texture and the traditional anise flavor tempt us with with taste and memories!
Welcome all who hold dear the family recipe, the grandma’s baking lessons and the holiday memories!
Connie Meisinger
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