One fond memory of living at Sandy Pond was of my Mom, Ruthy Kappesser, making Springerles at Christmastime.
Anybody visiting our family would get Springerles, which were thought to bring luck and cheer.
They are German christmas cookies, flavored with anise seed, which is licorice-like in taste. Mom's recipe came from Dad's family - his Grandma I think. Springerles need to be dried for a couple of weeks so they are rock-hard, but us kids would sneak them out of the jar ahead of their day because we liked them soft. I still prefer them soft. (I'm eating one now!)
They are formed with a special hardwood rolling pin or press that is carved with different designs to imprint on the dough. Barb has 2 of the rolling pins and 1 press...
Anybody visiting our family would get Springerles, which were thought to bring luck and cheer.
They are German christmas cookies, flavored with anise seed, which is licorice-like in taste. Mom's recipe came from Dad's family - his Grandma I think. Springerles need to be dried for a couple of weeks so they are rock-hard, but us kids would sneak them out of the jar ahead of their day because we liked them soft. I still prefer them soft. (I'm eating one now!)
They are formed with a special hardwood rolling pin or press that is carved with different designs to imprint on the dough. Barb has 2 of the rolling pins and 1 press...
Springerles. Barb made these with whole wheat flour she milled herself from some wheat we bought from the Amish in Lancaster County PA.
Barbs collection of Springerle tools...
A press.
This is an old pin.
Barb's been doing that Christmas cookie thing all week. The house smells great when I get home from work. The Springerle German cookies are almost ready to eat (drying for 10 days now). We have cookie exchange at Cobham (work) tomorrow and so I have plenty to bring to the table. I might make a batch of traditional Bavarian Cookie Wreaths. (Kappessers emigrated from Bavaria in 1803). Some of my fellow coworkers have no baking resources so they bring their cookies in from fancy upscale bakeries (or BJ's Warehouse)...they aren't bad either...
Of course we use a lot of cookie canisters!
The first one on the left is a fruitcake cookie, also new this year...visitors will be forced to eat cookies.
Here are all the different kinds Barb made this year. The front row is the German Springerles - my favorite. My Mom gave her the recipe from my Dad's Grandma (as I recall), originating in the old country (Bavaria, Germany), but I think she's researched and developed a better one...
These are new. A marshmallow covered with melted caramel and rolled in rice krispies.
Barb has been baking cookies every Christmas since we were married in 1982...and I have been eating them!
Your site is wonderful. I love your happy human story of cookie making and the picture of Barb at the end (and the lovely comment about the baking and eating team -since 1982 - tops it off.
ReplyDeleteI just this winter learned about Springerle cookies and what a great gift to have had a taste.
Good show! Thanks so much for sharing.