Recipe: German springerle biscuits for Christmas

Recipe: German springerle biscuits for Christmas

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Springerle biscuits are as essential a part of a German Christmas as steaming glühwein and freshly cut pine trees.

While there is nothing particularly remarkable about the shortbread recipe that’s used to produce these biscuits, it’s the additional hardware that transforms them into something truly festive magic.

Wooden moulds, engraved with traditional symbols of Christmas, are pushed into the rolled dough, revealing intricate images when the moulds are removed.

Our range of The Essential Ingredient wooden springerle moulds are produced in Germany from sustainable pear wood. The beautiful pieces are all intricately carved with winter and Christmas-themed designs. Find them in our stores and online.

Try this reliable recipe for best results.


Ingredients (Serves 20)

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp golden caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the sugars and butter together until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat to combine.

Fold through flour and salt until dough begins to come together. Transfer mix to a sheet of plastic wrap and bring together into a tight ball. Wrap dough with plastic wrap until sealed, then refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Roll a small amount of dough into a disk and lay on a lightly floured surface. Dust wooden springerle mould with flour using a pastry brush, then push firmly into dough.

Using a spatula, transfer dough and mould to baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Carefully remove mould, then trim edges of biscuit using a knife or pastry cutter.

Return offcuts to dough ball and repeat.

Sprinkle biscuits with extra golden caster sugar, then bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool then serve.

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