King Arthur Flour: Speculaas Spiced Springerle

This year when I was flipping through the King Arthur Flour catalog, I noticed a whole section on springerle molds.  I had seen these pressed cookies before, but since it seemed that the molds had to be handed down from one generation to the next (and I was too lazy to peruse eBay), I figured they were something other people made.  Well, one snowflake mold later, I have my own batch of delicious spiced cookies.  My niece gave her approval by licking one from top to bottom, so I guess they turned out.

Speculaas Spiced Springerle
From King Arthur Flour

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup toasted almond flour, or almond flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

⅛ teaspoon aniseed powder

⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg

In a small bowl, combine the flours and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, vanilla, spice, and salt. Add the egg and mix until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture.  Form the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.  Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough ⅛-inch to ¼-inch thick.  Brush a light coating of flour onto the dough and your springerle mold. Press the mold firmly into the dough, then remove and cut around the design with a knife or pastry wheel.  Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets and freeze for at least 30 minutes; this helps the cookies retain their shape while baking.

Fifteen minutes before baking the cookies, preheat the oven to 300°F.  Bake the cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're light gold around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and cool them right on the pan.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on size of mold