European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A time Roll Oul the dough to .1 thickness of / Inch. Cut Inlo Star shapes with a cookie Cutter clipped in confectioners sugar a six pointed  is  use a five or six centimetre diameter Star shaped cookie Cutter As you Cut he a i to he cookie sheets placing Cai h i cookie an Inch apart. The cookies should flatten slightly to about an Inch in diameter maximum ii they spread Loo much beat another a cup of flour into the dough before you put any More cookies on the Sheel. Lei the t cookies dry on the cookie sheets uncovered Al room temperature in a warm Kitchen for 12 to 111 hours. Preheat the oven to 325 of. Bake the cookies on the Middle rack of the oven one baking Sheel at a time for eight to 10 minutes Only until the Bottoms Are Pale Golden and the lops Are still White. Immediately remove the cookies from the baking Sheel and set them on a wire rack to Cool completely. Store up to four weeks in an airtight Container. The flavor of these cookie improves As they age makes approximately 160 bite size cookies. Note these cookies Are Best made in Cool dry weather. Don t try if the humidity is High. Lebkuchen bars Niernberg Gingerbread cookies 1 cup Honey % cup dark Brown sugar firmly packed Legg i cup Golden raisins i cup finely chopped almonds i cup candied Orange Peel finely chopped i cup candied Citron finely chopped 1 Tablespoon freshly grated Lemon Peel 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon juice 1 Tablespoon allspice 2 cups flour sifted before measuring it Teaspoon baking soda it Teaspoon Salt 2 Tablespoons milk decoration Anil ird my i liar rims us in half of candied Uri in he Rirs f us in half of 12 whole  hid almonds slightly toasted icing \ i c ups Pimp card sugar i Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice 1 Teaspoon Vanilla do not use dark  in a Small saut r pm. Heal the Honey and Brown sugar together Ovid him heal stirring constantly until the sugar is  dissolved and the mixture is thin. Pour the a a trial rolling pin for Spring Honey mixture into a Large heat proof bowl and Lei if i ook until Only slightly warm. Whisk in the egg then stir in the Golden raisins chopped almonds candied Orange Peel candied Citron grated Lemon Peel Lemon juice and allspice. Mix Welt. Sift together the flour baking soda and Salt. Stir this into the Honey mixture cup at a time until All ingredients Are thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough overnight. The nex Day preheat the oven to 350 f. Heavily butter two 9-Inch Square baking pans. It is important to use the Correct size for this recipe Divide the chilled dough in half and use your hands to Pat it into an even layer in each of the pans. The dough will be very Sticky Brush the entire surface of the dough lightly with milk. Bake on the Middle rack of the oven at 350 f for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the Center comes out clean. Do not overtake. Meanwhile make the icing by sifting the powdered sugar and combining it with the Lemon juice and Vanilla stirring until the mixture is smooth. As soon As the Lebkuchen comes out of the oven use a Sharp knife to Mark the surface of the dough into 1 h equal sied bars approximately two inches Square in each pan. Press one red Cherry half and one Green Cherry half Cut Side Down into the Center of each bar. Or press one whole Almond into the Center of each bar Brush the icing evenly Over the hot Lebkuchen. Let the / Vbk Uchen Cool completely in the pan then Cut into bars. Store in a lightly covered Container. Makes 32 bars. Spring Erle cookies 4 Large eggs 1 Pound 4 cups confectioners sugar 1 Pound 4 cups All purpose flour 1 Teaspoon baking powder crated Rind of 1 Lemon a Teaspoon Anise Oil or 1 Tablespoon Anise liqueur 2 Tablespoons Anise seeds Isil first then measure by spooning lightly into a measuring up and leveling off the top 1 inc i Kos i inn1 to room temperature. Sift and measure Ihi-1 Onici lion is sugar set aside. Sid the hour oru a measure it then Sitt again with inc Haking powder set aside. Grate the Lemon Rind. In a Large mixing bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer on High Speed Tot 10 minute until in eggs Are very Pale and thick. Reduce mixer Speed to medium add the optional Anise Oil or Anise liqueur then gradually Adel the sugar iwo Tablespoons Al a Lime while you continue beating. After the sugar has been added beat on High Speed for 10 minutes longer. Stir in the grated Lemon Rind. Gradually stir in the flour a cup Al a time mixing with a Large wooden spoon until the dough is smooth. Then Transfer the dough to a floured pastry Board and knead by hand for five minutes until the dough is soft and smooth and does t Slick to your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the Rerig Crealor for iwo to three hours. Just before the dough finishes chilling lightly Luller iwo Large cookie sheets. Put the Anise seeds in a Small plastic bag and crush them lightly with a rolling pin. Sprinkle them evenly Over the iwo sheets. Tightly flour a pastry Board you can use confectioners sugar instead of flour if desired. Break off a fourth of the c filled dough leaving the remainder wrapped in plastic at room temperature working quickly because the dough dries rapidly use a Plain rolling pin to Roll out the dough to a thickness of it Inch. Dust the top of the dough with flour cornstarch or confectioners sugar. If using Flat holds Spring Erle boards press them firmly into the dough to stamp the designs on the dough. If using a Spring Erle rolling pin Roll it Only once firmly across the Sheet of dough. Use a Sharp knife or Piza Cutter to Cut the Spring cry Inlo individual cookies each with a separate design stamped in the Middle. For fancier cookies use a fluted Roher to Cut the dough apart if you plan to use the cookies As Christmas tree ornaments punch a Hole in the lop of each one with a skewer after baking put a ribbon or piece of yarn through the Hole and hang the cookies on the tree. With a Spatula Transfer the sprinwrh1 cookies to the prepared baking sheets plat ing the c cookies /. Inch apart. Continue rolling and cutting the dough in this manner recoiling any dough scraps until All the dough has been used. Let the cookies sit in the open air us or Rel Al room temperature for 12 to 24 hours to dry thoroughly be of baking. Place them in a Sale plat e where children and pets can t steal them. The next Day. Preheat the oven to 30f f. Hake the cookies on the Middle rack of the oven one baking Sheet at a Lime for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch to make sure that the Spring Urle Don t overtake. They Shi Mill be while on lop and Pale Golden on the Bottom. Immediately remove the Spring Erle cookies from the baking sheets and Transfer them to wire Racks to t Oul for at least an hour. Brush the remaining Anise seeds off the cookie sheets and Inlo an airtight Container that you will use for storing the Spring Erle. When the Sprnger a have cooled completely put them in the airtight Container with half an Apple or a slice of bread set on lop of the cookies to make the cookies soften while their flavor is developing. I eave the cookies in the Container for at least a week but change the Apple or bread every few Days to prevent Mold from growing. Many German Cooks insist that Spring Erle Ripen for three to four weeks before serving. Spring re can also be Frozen Slack them in a plastic Freezer Container with a piece of waxed paper Between each layer of cookies. Makes approximately 60 2-Inch-Square Springer it cookies. Yield will vary depending on the Sie of cookie holds used note Spring re c cookies can be left totally w Lute or the designs on them can be painted with edible colouring materials to produce Beautiful Christmas treats. If you plan to hang the cookies on the Christmas tree As decorations and you Don l intend to eat them then the designs can be painted with tempera colors or acrylic paints. C 1987. Sharon Hudgims deter bar 3, 1987 stripes Magazine 11