I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.

Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
intentionally left them to go stale and hard.

Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
that helps any.

RobtE

RobtE wrote:
> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE


Pfeffernuisse.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> RobtE wrote:
>
>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
>> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
>> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
>> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
>> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things
>> on Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you
>> could even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your
>> coffee and leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>>
>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her
>> cookies into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of
>> knights and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and
>> then intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>
>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have
>> any ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured,
>> if that helps any.
>>
>> RobtE
>
>
>
> Pfeffernuisse.
>
> Best regards,
> Bob

I don't think so. Pfeffernüsse are very small rounds.

jake wrote:

> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> RobtE wrote:
>>
>>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
>>> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
>>> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
>>> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
>>> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things
>>> on Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you
>>> could even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your
>>> coffee and leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>>>
>>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her
>>> cookies into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes
>>> of knights and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn
>>> and then intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>>
>>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have
>>> any ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed
>>> flavoured, if that helps any.
>>>
>>> RobtE
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Pfeffernuisse.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Bob
>
>
> I don't think so. Pfeffernüsse are very small rounds.


You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and don't
soften" part, plus the anise.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> jake wrote:
>
>> zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>>> RobtE wrote:
>>>
>>>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>>>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle
>>>> would descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could
>>>> conclude only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the
>>>> family so that her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German
>>>> Christmas cookies were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to
>>>> drop these things on Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days.
>>>> The only way you could even bite through her cookies was to plunge
>>>> them into your coffee and leave them there until the coffee had gone
>>>> cold.
>>>>
>>>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her
>>>> cookies into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes
>>>> of knights and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn
>>>> and then intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>>>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have
>>>> any ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed
>>>> flavoured, if that helps any.
>>>>
>>>> RobtE
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Pfeffernuisse.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Bob
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't think so. Pfeffernüsse are very small rounds.
>
>
>
> You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and don't
> soften" part, plus the anise.
>
> Bob

You may have noticed I just corrected a different mistake of my own

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:
(snippage_

> >> Pfeffernuisse.
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >> Bob

> > I don't think so. Pfeffernüsse are very small rounds.

> You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and don't
> soften" part, plus the anise.
>
> Bob

My pfeffernusse recipe produces a soft cookie, not a rock. My oldest
dead sister's recipe produced rocks that you had to suck on.

* Exported from MasterCook Mac *

Pfefferneuse

Recipe By : posted to rec.food.cooking by Barb Schaller, 11-22-05
Serving Size : 168 Preparation Time :0:30
Categories : Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup lard
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups sorghum
4 1/2 tsp. baking soda -- dissolved in 1/4
cup sour milk
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 tsp. anise oil
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
10 cups flour

Mix in order given: Cream lard, butter, and sugar together till fluffy.
Mix in other ingredients. Let stand in icebox overnight. Roll in balls
the size of a walnut. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. After
baking, cool slightly on a rack and roll in powdered sugar and store in
a tight jar.

Recipe is more than 40 years old. Notes: Used 2 cups molasses and 1
cup Karo syrup instead of sorghum. Big recipe! Approximately 14 dozen.
Consider making half the recipe!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Per serving (excluding unknown items): 64 Calories; 2g Fat (29% calories
from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 9mg Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread; 1/2 Fat

NOTES : From Sue Hlivka Johnson (her mother, Anna Hlivka, was my
godmother.) 11/22/87 after a request to Mary Hart at Star Tribune.

_____
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 11-19-05 - Shiksa Varnishkes.

In article >, says...
>
>
> You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and don't
> soften" part, plus the anise.
>
> Bob
>

But Pfeffernuesse are of of the gingerbread family of things and do not
taste of anise at all ........

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 00:04:52 +1300, Peter Huebner
> wrote:

>But Pfeffernuesse are of of the gingerbread family of things and do not
>taste of anise at all ........

The commercial Pfeffernuesse I've seen have been round, white cookies.
I have a recipe for Pfefferkuchen that came over here from the Old
Country. They're heavy and very chewy. Does this sound like what
you're talking about, Peter?



* Exported from MasterCook *

Pfefferkuchen

Recipe By amsel
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 pound ground almonds -- blanched
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon baking soda -- mixed with...
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 pound honey -- (1 1/8 cup)
4 cups flour -- up to 5 cups

Stir sugar and eggs together for 15 minutes. Combine almond with
sugar and egg mixture, and stir for an additional 15 minutes. Add
cloves, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Dissolve baking soda in vinegar and
add to batter. Add honey and flour, alternately. If it gets too
thick to handle, add more honey.

Cover with waxed paper and cloth, and let stand for several days (3-4)
until spongy.

Roll to slightly less than 1/4-inch using light pressure with rolling
pin. Cut into desired shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at
375F for 12-15 minutes. Watch carefully - they burn easily!

Cool, then frost with powdered sugar and milk icing.

These store very well. We generally put a slice of bread in with
them.

Cuisine:
"German"
Source:
"Meta Bogen (Damsel's Grandmother-in-Law)"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
--
Wash away the gray to respond.

"Peter Huebner" > wrote in message
t...
> In article >,
> says...
>>
>>
>> You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and
>> don't
>> soften" part, plus the anise.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>
> But Pfeffernuesse are of of the gingerbread family of things and do
> not
> taste of anise at all ........

Ahhh thank you! I was beginning to think there was another type of
Pfeffernuesse that I knew nothing about!

On Wed 23 Nov 2005 04:04:52a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Peter
Huebner?

> In article >, says...
>>
>>
>> You're probably right. I was keying off the "hard as a rock and don't
>> soften" part, plus the anise.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>
> But Pfeffernuesse are of of the gingerbread family of things and do not
> taste of anise at all ........

The Pfeffernuesse recipe I use does call for some ground anise seed, among
many other spices. It is from a very old German cookbook.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Bob; Sorry but pfeffernusse are not made with anise seeds nor are they
made with the special springerle rolling pin. The cookies she described
are definitely springerle. (However, pfeffernusse are pretty darn hard,
too!). Carol

Our life may not always be the party we would have chosen, but while we
are here, we may as well dance!

Springerle? See http://www.houseonthehill.net/ for the molds
and recipies.

Jeneen

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005, RobtE wrote:

> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a vicar's
> tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would descend upon us
> with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude only that she was intent
> on wiping out the rest of the family so that her daughers could inherit
> /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies were like concrete. Honest, if
> George W decided to drop these things on Iraq the war would be over in a
> matter of days. The only way you could even bite through her cookies was to
> plunge them into your coffee and leave them there until the coffee had gone
> cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies into
> their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights and
> damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then intentionally
> left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a recipe,
> but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any ideas? As I
> remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if that helps any.
>
> RobtE
>

"RobtE" > wrote in message
...
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.

They're actually supposed to soften over time. Slather 'em in confectioner's
sugar mmmmmmmmmmmm.

RobtE wrote:
> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE

Sounds like lebkuchen. It is baked ahead and left to harden, then used
to build an edible house from.

jake wrote:

> RobtE wrote:
>
>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
>> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
>> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
>> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
>> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things
>> on Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you
>> could even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your
>> coffee and leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>>
>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her
>> cookies into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of
>> knights and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and
>> then intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>
>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have
>> any ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured,
>> if that helps any.
>>
>> RobtE
>
>
> Sounds like lebkuchen. It is baked ahead and left to harden/soften, then used
> to build an edible house from.

I reconsidered. Spekulazien is probably right, ti matches those molds
Jeneen posted a pic of. in Duitch, theya re called speculaas (sometimes
called windmill cookies in English). Spekulazien are not as hard as
lebkuchen, though.

And now I am wodnering if the waiting tiem with Lebkuchen is meatn for
softening or for hardeingn. My brain is getting foggy, feels liek a cold
starting. 'll go to sleep and stop talking semi sense.

"jake" > wrote in message
. nl...
> RobtE wrote:
>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
>> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude only
>> that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that her
>> daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies were
>> like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on Iraq
>> the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could even
>> bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and leave
>> them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>>
>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
>> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
>> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
>> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>
>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
>> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
>> that helps any.
>>
>> RobtE
>
> Sounds like lebkuchen. It is baked ahead and left to harden, then used to
> build an edible house from.

There is a kind of lebkuchen that is a hard cookie. I think maybe Damsel
has a recipe for this. The other kind of lebkuchen that is seen most often
is a kind of frosted, cakey bar that has a lot of citron in it. The
lebkuchen cookie will be tannish/greyish. The springele is a creamy white.
Janet

Sounds like she made the famous (infamous?) springerle. I always make
them for Christmas; we don't like them but I have a dear friend who
loves the things! Carol

Our life may not always be the party we would have chosen, but while we
are here, we may as well dance!

"RobtE" > wrote in message
...
>I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a vicar's
>tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would descend upon
>us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude only that she was
>intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that her daughers could
>inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies were like concrete.
>Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on Iraq the war would be
>over in a matter of days. The only way you could even bite through her
>cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and leave them there until the
>coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights and
> damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if that
> helps any.
>
> RobtE
Springele -- they should have been made last month and kept in a jar with
some sliced apple to soften. As I recall, the dough is made up, rolled out
with the springele rolling pin (or alternatively, there are individual
squares of cut wood with elaborate patterns that are pressed onto the
dough), and then the dough is allowed to dry on the counter overnight before
baking the next day. They are anise flavored and hard as rock when new. If
you don't have time to age them now, you make them up and use them as coffee
dunkers.
Janet

RobtE wrote:
> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE
Ah yes. Thanks to all who've responded. I think they were "springerle".
Geez, what we used to put up with for the sake of family harmony... LOL

RobtE

"RobtE" > wrote in message
...
>I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a vicar's
>tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would descend upon
>us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude only that she was
>intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that her daughers could
>inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies were like concrete.
>Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on Iraq the war would be
>over in a matter of days. The only way you could even bite through her
>cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and leave them there until the
>coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights and
> damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if that
> helps any.
>
> RobtE
=========

Springerle!

--
Syssi

In article >, RobtE >
wrote:

> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE

Lebkuchen?
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 11-19-05 - Shiksa Varnishkes.

In article >,
Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
(snippage)
> > Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> > into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> > and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> > intentionally left them to go stale and hard.

> > RobtE
>
> Lebkuchen?

Whoops! Guess not. Looks like springerle.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 11-19-05 - Shiksa Varnishkes.

RobtE wrote:
<snip>
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE

springle

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 21:56:41 +0000, RobtE > connected
the dots and wrote:

~I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
~vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
~descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
~only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
~her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
~were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things
on
~Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you
could
~even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
~leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
~
~Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her
cookies
~into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of
knights
~and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
~intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
~
~Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
~recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have
any
~ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
~that helps any.
~
~RobtE

Springerles! My SIL makes them for us each year (her mold has wheat
and some other stuff), If they're too hard, put a slice of bread in a
bag with them and seal it up for a day.

They are wonderful dipped in coffee or tea.

maxine in ri

RobtE wrote:
> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE


Springerle, perhaps?

(Note this recipe is exactly as it appears int he 1971 edition of
Farm Journal Cookies Cookbook. I have never made them.)

4 eggs
2 cups sugar (superfine works best)
4 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon anise seeds (or 6 drops anise oil)

Using electric mixer at low speed, beat eggs in a large bowl. Gradually
add sugar, then beat at medium speed 10 minutes.

SIft together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend into egg mixture
alternately with butter, mixing well. Cover dough with waxed paper or
foil, chill 1 hour.

Dust surface lightly with flour, pat or roll out half the dough at a
time to a tiny bit thicker than 1/2 inch. (sic) Lightly flour
springerle board and press it down firmly on the dough. Lift carefully
so as not to mar the lines of the designs. If board sticks to dough,
lightly flour it and the top of the dough. Brush off flour after
removing board. (If you use a springerle rolling pin, roll the dough to
a flat sheet 1/2 inch thick, then roll over it with the springerle
roller just once to press in designs.)

Lightly grease baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with anise seeds. Lift
dough carefully to baking sheet, cover loosely with waxed paper and let
stand overnight.

When ready to bake, cut dough to cookie size along lines made by the
board or roller. Separate on baking sheet by 1/2 inch.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) 5 minutes, then reduce heat to slow
(300F) and continue baking about 10 minutes longer. Remove cookies and
cool on racks. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

gloria p

On Tue 22 Nov 2005 08:55:21p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Puester?

> RobtE wrote:
>> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
>> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
>> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
>> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
>> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
>> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
>> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
>> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
>> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>>
>> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
>> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
>> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
>> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>>
>> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
>> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
>> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
>> that helps any.
>>
>> RobtE
>
>
> Springerle, perhaps?
>
> (Note this recipe is exactly as it appears int he 1971 edition of
> Farm Journal Cookies Cookbook. I have never made them.)
>
> 4 eggs
> 2 cups sugar (superfine works best)
> 4 cups sifted cake flour
> 1 tsp. baking powder
> 1/4 tsp. salt
> 2 tablespoons melted butter
> 1 tablespoon anise seeds (or 6 drops anise oil)
>
> Using electric mixer at low speed, beat eggs in a large bowl. Gradually
> add sugar, then beat at medium speed 10 minutes.
>
> SIft together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend into egg mixture
> alternately with butter, mixing well. Cover dough with waxed paper or
> foil, chill 1 hour.
>
> Dust surface lightly with flour, pat or roll out half the dough at a
> time to a tiny bit thicker than 1/2 inch. (sic) Lightly flour
> springerle board and press it down firmly on the dough. Lift carefully
> so as not to mar the lines of the designs. If board sticks to dough,
> lightly flour it and the top of the dough. Brush off flour after
> removing board. (If you use a springerle rolling pin, roll the dough to
> a flat sheet 1/2 inch thick, then roll over it with the springerle
> roller just once to press in designs.)
>
> Lightly grease baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with anise seeds. Lift
> dough carefully to baking sheet, cover loosely with waxed paper and let
> stand overnight.
>
> When ready to bake, cut dough to cookie size along lines made by the
> board or roller. Separate on baking sheet by 1/2 inch.
>
> Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) 5 minutes, then reduce heat to slow
> (300F) and continue baking about 10 minutes longer. Remove cookies and
> cool on racks. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.
>
> gloria p

I have that 1971 cookbook and have made the Springerle recipe many times.
IMHO, it's an excellent recipe. I have tried others and always come back
to this one.

I use both the anise seeds and the anise oil. I add the oil to the dough
and sprinkle the seeds on the baking sheet.

It should be noted that Springerle should not be allowed to color or brown
when baking. They should be an ivory color. Once turned out on a rack for
cooling, it's best to leave them there overnight. The next day they should
be packed into an airtight container for a couple of weeks. A few days
before serving, place a couple of apple slices on plastic wrap and put on
top of the cookies. Then reseal the container. They will mellow nicely.

One further note... In Germany they usually use hartshorn (ammonium
bicarbonate) as the leavening agent. The last few times I've baked
Springerle, I've used hartshorn instead of the baking powder. You will
smell the ammonia in the dough and during baking, but the odor entirely
disappears as the cookies are done. Oh, if you're interested in the
hartshorn, you can generally buy it at a pharmacy by its chemical name, or
mailorder form King Arthur Flour.


--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 21:56:41 +0000, RobtE wrote:

> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas?

Your request is an honest (not ignorat) one and I'd ask too. I'm
sorry you feel so intimidated by us.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

RobtE wrote:
> I had a collection of aunts that made Bertie Wooster's look like a
> vicar's tea party. Every year about this time Great-Aunt Myrtle would
> descend upon us with a batch of her annual baking. We could conclude
> only that she was intent on wiping out the rest of the family so that
> her daughers could inherit /everything/. Her German Christmas cookies
> were like concrete. Honest, if George W decided to drop these things on
> Iraq the war would be over in a matter of days. The only way you could
> even bite through her cookies was to plunge them into your coffee and
> leave them there until the coffee had gone cold.
>
> Rumour had it that she had a special rolling pin that shaped her cookies
> into their traditional rectangles, with their raised shapes of knights
> and damsels. She apparently made these WMDs in the autumn and then
> intentionally left them to go stale and hard.
>
> Yes, I know Google is my friend, and I've no problems Googling for a
> recipe, but I need a name for these things to Google on. Anyone have any
> ideas? As I remember them, they were vaguely anise-seed flavoured, if
> that helps any.
>
> RobtE

The German equivalent of Springerle? That's the only stamped cookie I
know, although I'm sure there are more.

N.

(It isn't really pfefferneusse unless it has black pepper in it. The
name is translated "Pepper Nuts." My Great-Grandma Anna would make
them in the fall and put them in a washed burlap bag, and leave them on
her enclosed porch, and we'd run in and grab a handful and run out.
LOL.)