Orange Flavored Springerle Cookies Food

TRADITIONAL SPRINGERLE

Steps:

• Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets. Sprinkle with anise seeds. Set aside until needed.
• Mix the flour and baking powder together in a bowl until well blended. Place the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat until light and frothy, 5 to 8 minutes. Slowly stir in the flour mixture until a thick dough forms.
• Working with handfuls of dough, roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over the dough. Place springerle molds onto the dough; press down hard and evenly until the mold's design registers in the dough. Remove the mold. Use a small knife to cut around each cookie, and place on prepared cookie sheets. Repeat, until all dough has been used. Cover the cookies with a lightweight cotton cloth, and allow to dry 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Bake cookies in preheated oven until tops are pale brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the buttermilk, eggs, orange juice and zest. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. , For icing, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange extract and enough orange juice to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookies.

ORANGE-FLAVORED SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine hartshorn and milk in a small bowl; set aside to dissolve at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Beat eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until very pale and thick, 5 to 7 minutes. With mixer running, add 6 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat on high speed after all sugar has been added, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add hartshorn and milk mixture, butter, orange extract, and salt; mix well to combine.
• Beat flour into the mixer gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff for the mixer. Stir in remaining flour by hand. Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide into 4 pieces, shape into discs, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill until firm, 3 hours or longer.
• Place springerle mold or rolling pin in the freezer. Line baking sheets with a cotton or linen cloth.
• Dust work surface with 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar. Roll one piece of dough into a circle 1/4-inch thick. Press the dough firmly into the springerle mold or rolling pin. Use a pastry cutter to cut extra dough away from the design. Transfer cookies to the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Use a delicate brush to brush off excess confectioners' sugar.
• Leave cookies out to air dry, uncovered, 12 hours or longer.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Transfer cookies onto baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart.
• Bake cookies on the middle rack of the oven, one baking sheet at time, until slightly golden on the bottom but still pale on top, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container for a week before serving, allowing the flavors to age.

SHORTBREAD SPRINGERLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Dissolve hartshorn in the milk for 1 hour.
• Beat eggs until thick and lemon coloured, about 10 minutes with a heavy duty mixed, longer with a hand mixer.
• Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter, beating until the mixture is creamy.
• Beat in the hartshorn and milk, salt, flavouring oil and grated citrus peel, if using.
• Gradually beat in as much of the flour as possible with the mixer, then stir in the rest of the flour to make a stiff dough.
• Turn the dough onto floured surface and knead in more flour until stiff enough to make a good print.
• The amount of flour needed will depend on the size of the eggs and amount of humidity.
• Dust a surface with flour and roll out the dough to about 1/3 " thickness.
• With a clean dry pastry brush, brush springerle molds with cake flour and press into the dough.
• Cut out cookies with a knife, pizza cutter, pastry wheel or cutter.
• Place cookies on a kitchen towel, uncovered, to dry for 2 to 24 hours.
• Bake on a greased or baker's parchment lined cookie sheet at 225 F to 325 F until barely golden on the bottom. This will take 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
• Cool completely on rack and store in tins.
• They will keep for monthe and improve with age. They can be baked in October or November for Christmas.
• The number of cookies this recipe yields depends on the size and thickness of the cookies.
• Prep time does not include the 2 to 24 hour drying time.
• VARIATIONS:.
• Chocolate Springerle - Add 1 cup cocoa and 2 tsp vanilla or chocolate extract in place of other flavorings. For a lighter colored cookie, use chocolate flavor confectioner's sugar which is available in 1 lb boxes, plus 2 tsp of vanilla or chocolate extract.
• Cocoa-Mocha - Add 2 tbsp powdered (pulverize granules if necessary) instant coffee to milk plus either of the chocolate formulas given above.
• Citrus - Use 3 to 4 tsp oil of lemon or oil of orange, or 2 tsp oil and grated rind of 3 oranges or lemons.
• Oil of cinnamon, almond or peppermint - Use 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla - Use 4 or 5 tsp extract.