Springerles

4              medium eggs (if large, use a little more flour)

1 lb           powdered sugar

3 c            all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp          baking powder

1 tsp          salt

1/2-1/4 tsp    anise oil (buy at druggist's)



[Set oven at 300x.]  We think you'll say these are the finest

springerles you've ever eaten. We're indebted to Mrs. Albert L.

Wolf, 145 East Frankfort Street, for this grand recipe. Mrs. Wolf

called us just before Christmas last year to discuss a routine

cooking problem. In the course of the conversation she mentioned

she had already baked and mailed more than 40 pounds of Christmas

cookies. These springerles are not the hard "rocks" we are so often

served under that name--they're almost like cake, they're so soft.

Don't attempt to make these unless you have an electric mixer.

They require long and thorough beating that is simply too hard to

do by hand.



Thoroughly beat eggs; gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat

for 25 minutes at high speed. [G'ma B. has greater success with 15

min. of the mixer. Also, you can beat by hand for one hour but it's

very tiring.]  Remove from mixer. Sift together flour, baking

powder, and salt; fold into egg mixture. [It's best not to knead in

the flour; if you must, then do so only very little.]  Flavor with

anise oil. Anise oil has a strong flavor, so be careful not to add

too much.



Roll portions of dough out on a lightly floured board to about

1/4" thickness. The traditional springerle is made by pressing the

dough with a springerle rolling pin or a springerle board.

Cut the cookies with a floured knife and place on a greased baking

sheet. [But first, set aside cut cookies to thoroughly dry several

hours to preserve springerle pattern, then moisten bottom slightly

before setting on sheet to permit cookie to rise in oven.] Bake for

15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from sheet. Makes 36.



1991, '92, '93, '94: 3 recipes.