Springerle I

Ingredients

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• cooking spray
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• 1 ½ tablespoons crushed anise seeds
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• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
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• 1 teaspoon baking powder
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• 2 cups sugar
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• 4 eggs
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• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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• ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
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Instructions

1. 1
   Spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray; sprinkle with anise seeds and set aside until needed.
2. 2
   Mix flour and baking powder together in a large bowl until well blended. Place sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a separate large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and frothy, 5 to 8 minutes. Gradually stir flour mixture into egg mixture to form a thick dough.
3. 3
   Working with handfuls of dough at a time, roll out onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over dough. Place springerle molds onto dough; press down hard and evenly until the mold's design registers in dough. Remove the mold. Use a small knife to cut around each cookie, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat, until all dough has been used. Cover cookies with a lightweight cotton cloth, and allow to dry for 8 hours, or overnight. The designs will remain embossed in the cookies.
4. 4
   When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
5. 5
   Bake cookies in preheated oven until tops are pale brown and cookies are set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.