This morning's newspaper featured recipes for German cookies, among them "Springerle", anise flavored cookies which are pressed into molds and dried overnight before they are baked. My DH remembers his mother making them when he was a child. These were pressed into molds we bought when my husband's job took us to Germany for a year.

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp fine grated lemon peel
1 tsp anise extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour plus more for kneading the dough
2-3 tbsp whole or crushed anise seed (optional)

Have all ingredients at room temperature (68-70°)

Combine flour and baking powder in bowl; stir until thoroughly mixed.

Break eggs into large mixer bowl. Beat on high speed of electric mixer until lightened in color. Gradually add sugar, lemon peel and anise extract; beat about 3 minutes, or until lightened in color, creamy and thick enough to drop in thick ribbons. Stir in flour mixture until well mixed and smooth.

Sprinkle a surface with about 1/4 cup flour. Turn out dough onto surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Knead in enough flour to firm the dough and make it manageable.

Divide dough in half. Place one portion in a resealable plastic bag to keep it from drying out. Roll out other portion 1/4 inch thick, lifting the dough and lightly dusting the surface and rolling pin as necessary.

Lightly dust a Springerle carved rolling pin or molds with flour. Tap of excess. Firmly roll or press rolling pin or molds into the dough to imprint the designs. Cut the designs apart using a pastry wheel or sharp knife. (I used a plastic half-moon pizza cutter!) With a spatula, transfer cookies to greased cookie sheets, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Gather up the dough scraps and knead into remaining portion of dough. Repeat rolling and imprinting process until all dough is used. Set cookies aside, uncovered, for 10-12 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300°. If desired, sprinkle cookies with anise seeds. Bake, one sheet at a time, on center rack of 300° oven 18-25 minutes, or until cookies are almost firm but not colored. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Store cookies airtight for 3 weeks or freeze for several months. For a more pronounced anise flavor, add 1 to 2 tsp anise seeds to the storage container.

Yield: 2-3 dozen (2-4") cookies.

Source: Barbara Gibbs Ostmann - NYT Regional Newspapers
Note: Putting the seeds on top doesn't work very well...they don't stick. Best would be if you want heavier anise flavor is to mix the seeds in with the dough.