(Grätz)
Original German recipe for Springerle from 1688:
(Grätz)
Original Recipe from 1688:
NJmme ein Pfund Zucker/ ſtoß vnd faͤhe jhn/ nimb 24. Loth Mehl/ vnd miſch darunter/ nimb Zimmet/ Naͤgel/ Muſcatnuß/ vnd Lemo- niſchaͤller/ ſchneids ſo klein als du kanſt/ miſche es auch darunter/ machs an mit Unrklar/ vnd Le- moniſafft/ mach den Taig ſo dich als du kanſt/ knoͤt jhn wol ab/ walck jhn wol auß/ am duͤnſten wie ein Papier/ truck auff einer Seyten den Model/ laß ein baar Stund ſtehen/ darnach bachs Semmel- braun/ laß kuͤhl werden/ uͤberſtreichs mit einem Eiß/ leg es wider in die Torten-Pfannen/ daß das Eiß Blatern gibt/ laß kuͤhl werden. (Grätz)
German to English translation: to make jumpers. (jumping horse)
Take a pound of sugar / poke and see it / Take 24 Loth* flour / and mix in / Take Cinnamon / Clove / Nutmeg / and Lime** Peels / cut as small as you can / mix it also among them / do with unclear**** / and Lime** Juice / do the dough as you can / knead it well / make it flat / thin as a paper / press on a Side of the Model (cookie mold) / let stand for a short hour / then bake roll brown / let it cool / sweep over with one Ice*** / put it back in the cake pans / that that Ice*** Give a puff / let it cool
*Loth = also known as a Lot, was a unit of mass used in Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia. It was replaced by the German Reich in the mid to late 1800’s (between 1868-1877). Approximately 14g to 18g, or 1/32 of a pound.
** Can’t find a German translation for “Lemo”. Lime = limette
*** Icing? Ei = egg. Eiss = Ice
**** Unclear = egg whites?
Modern Interpretation:
1 pound sugar
Nutmeg
432 g (0.95 pound) flour
Lime Peels
Cinnamon
Egg whites
Clove
Short hour = A day (24 Hours) is preferred
The spices found in this recipe are reminiscent of speculaas.
For a modern recipe for springerle cookies, please visit here.
To learn more about historic pastry molds that would have been used for springerle cookies, please visit here.
Works Cited
Grätz, Gedruckt zu. Ein Koch- Und Artzney-Buch. Zweite Aufl. 1688, S. 4. http://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/oa_artzneybuch_1688?p=10. 26 December 2019.
