Cookies

After many years of admiring both reproduction and modern cookie moulds, I finally broke down and bought 2.  They are generally used for Springerle and Gingerbread cookies.  I purchased a reproduction 16th century mould of a spinner, spinning flax on a drop spindle and one which might be dated a bit earlier of two musicians, one with a lute and the other with a harp.  They are beautiful carvings, with many details.

I'd ordered the moulds about two weeks ago and they finally arrived on Friday.  I'd hoped there would be time to bake off a batch in time to use at a small dinner party I hosted on Sunday evening.  Unfortunately our coolish, dry weather turned unseasonably hot and very muggy, with rain.  Since the cookies need to partially dry before baking, it meant that it was a 48 hour drying time.    I had the hartshorn which is ammonium carbonate, for the rising agent but didn't have an anise oil, which is the traditional flavouring.  I used lemon extract as I had some on hand.  I don't think I added enough as there is little to no lemon flavour.     The recipe says the cookies need to age several weeks before using, and it will make a dense, cake-like cookie.  They weren't bad fresh from the oven, although they do seem to be made to drink with a cup of tea or cocoa!  I shall be experimenting more in the following weeks.   The one thing I know for sure is that I'd love to have a few more cookie moulds! 

No photo of the baked cookie as the pure white cookie cookie just didn't photography well in the dismal grey light of today, and I've just not got time to rig up some sort of light box/diffuser thingy and play around with it.   They are pretty though!  I'm also on the lookout for large size cookie/biscuit cutters to keep the edges from looking so ragged.   My knife skills are obviously not quite so adept when put to cutting out large circles.

Spinner cookie before baking