Springerle facts for kids
Baked springerle, showing typical "foot".
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| Type | Cookie |
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| Place of origin | Germany |
| Associated national cuisine | Swabia, Bavaria, Bohemia, Switzerland, Austria, Alsace |
| Main ingredients | Flour, sugar, egg, anise |
Springerle are special cookies from southern Germany. They have cool designs pressed into them using a mold. Imagine pressing a stamp onto dough! This makes the pattern stay clear even after baking.
These cookies are often eaten during the Christmas season now. But long ago, people baked them for many different holidays and parties all year round.
In some places, they are called anis-brödle or Anisbrötli, which means "anise bun." The name springerle means "little jumper" or "little knight." No one is exactly sure why it's called that. It might be because some molds showed jumping horses, or because the dough "springs up" when it bakes.
Springerle cookies have been around for a long time, since at least the 1300s! They started in southwestern Germany, especially in a region called Swabia. One of the oldest molds ever found is from the 1300s and is kept in a museum in Switzerland.
How to Bake Springerle Cookies
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Raw springerle dough, just out of the wooden wedding-carriage mold.
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Springerle dough after drying for a day.
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Baked springerle, showing typical "foot".
The main things you need to make springerle are eggs, white wheat flour, and very fine sugar. These cookies usually taste like anise, which is a spice. But the anise isn't mixed into the dough. Instead, crushed anise seeds are sprinkled on the baking sheets. The cookies then sit on top of them.
Traditional recipes use a special ingredient called hartshorn salt. This helps the cookies rise. It's also known as baker's ammonia. It can be hard to find today. So, many modern recipes use baking powder instead. Cookies made with hartshorn salt are lighter and softer. They also keep their design better and stay fresh longer. This rising ingredient makes the cookie at least double in size when it bakes!
To make springerle, you roll out very cold, firm dough. Then you press a mold onto it, or use a special rolling pin with designs. After taking the dough out of the mold, you let it dry for about 24 hours. Then, you bake it at a low temperature on baking sheets that have been greased and dusted with anise.
Letting the dough dry helps the design on top stay clear. It also makes the cookie "pop up" when it bakes. This creates a special edge called a "foot" around the bottom of the cookie.
After baking, the cookies are hard. You pack them away for two to four weeks to "ripen." During this time, they become softer and ready to eat.
Another way to make springerle is to use dough that isn't chilled. You mix all the ingredients. Then, you roll out the dough on a floured surface. You use a special springerle rolling pin to press the designs. After that, you cut out small, rectangular cookies. These are placed on a wooden board to dry overnight. It's best to work with small amounts of dough. This keeps the dough moist so the designs stay clear. Anise seeds are sprinkled on the baking sheets just before baking. Sometimes, anise extract is added to the dough for a stronger licorice-like taste. A typical recipe can make many cookies, depending on how thick they are.
Springerle Molds
Molds for springerle are usually carved from wood. But you can also find them made from plastic or pottery. Pear wood is a favorite because it's strong and lasts a long time. Old handmade molds are like pieces of folk art. They usually don't have a name or date on them.
Many old molds are kept in museums. They show us what was important to people long ago. They have religious symbols, everyday scenes, and other designs.
The idea of stamping designs might come from molds used for special bread in Christian traditions. The very first springerle molds had religious pictures. These included scenes from Bible stories. Later, in the 1600s and 1700s, molds showed knights and ladies in fancy clothes. Themes about happiness, love, weddings, and having children were popular through the 1800s.
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Springerle mold from a museum in Germany.
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This mold shows a wedding carriage and many people.
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The back side of the same mold, showing more figures.
See also
In Spanish: Springerle para niños
