Rye Shortbread

Name: Rye Shortbread
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 2 cups (280 g) Hayden Flour Mills Gazelle Rye Flour, plus extra for dusting; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg); ¼ tsp ground cloves; 1/8 tsp ground allspice; 1 cup + 1 Tbsp (240 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3 Tbsp eggnog; 1 ¼ cup (145 g) powdered sugar

Image of Rye Shortbread — Photo by David Alvarado

Servings

Prep Time

45-60 minutes

Cook Time

7-10 minutes

"Springerle cookies are traditional German cookies that are pressed into intricate wooden molds. It is fun to find and collect reproduction molds to create these little masterpieces. But if you don't have springerle molds on hand, any cookie mold will do!"

Reprinted with permission from The Miller's Daughter by Emma Zimmerman (Hardie Grant North America)

Author:

Emma Zimmerman

Ingredients

Cookies:

2 cups (280 g) Hayden Flour Mills Gazelle Rye Flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
¼ tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 cup + 1 Tbsp (240 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Eggnog Glaze:

3 Tbsp eggnog
1 ¼ cup (145 g) powdered sugar

Directions

Combine the flour, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Gently press the dough into a disk, wrap in airtight wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a ¼-inch thickness. If it is too cold and difficult to roll, let it soften slightly at room temperature for a few minutes.
Form Cookies. If you are using a springerle mold, lightly dust the dough and mold with flour, then press the mold firmly into the dough. Carefully remove the mold, then using a thin-bladed knife, pizza cutter or a slightly larger cookie cutter, cut around the impression. (The cookies in the photo are 2 ½-inch rounds). Gently lift the cookie with an offset spatula and place it on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, rerolling the scraps as needed, spacing the cookie sheets in the freezer for at least 20 minutes prior to baking. This will help maintain the impression of the mold. If you are using regular cookie cutters, cut out any shape you like and place the cookies on the cookie sheets, as above. There is no need to put these plain cookies in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes (depending on their size) until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the sheets.
While the cookies are cooling, mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and set them back on the sheets for 5 minutes, or until the glaze has set.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.