1993 3rd Place: Empires Recipe

      Yield: 1 Servings
 
      1 c  Unsalted butter,softened
    1/2 c  Granulated sugar
      2 c  All-purpose flour
    1/2 c  Seedless raspberry jam or
           Currant jelly
      1 c  Confectioners' sugar
           Milk,(1-2 tablespoon)
           Colored sugar for decorating

1. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl of electric mixer
until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour and blend well. Remove from
bowl and knead until shiny. Divide dough in half; wrap in wax paper.
Refrigerate dough until it is firm enough to roll, several hours or
longer. Let dough soften slightly on counter if too firm to roll.

2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough between two sheets of floured
wax paper or flatten dough with floured hands to 1/4-inch thickness on
a floured surface. Use cookie cutters to make shapes. Transfer to
ungreased baking sheets. Bake only until slightly golden, 5 to 7
minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets just long enough to firm cookies and
then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

3. To assemble, spread half of the cookies with a small amount of jam
and sandwich with another cookie. Put confectioners' sugar into a small
bowl and drizzle in just enough milk to make a thin glaze. Frost
cookies lightly with the glaze and sprinkle with colored sugar. Let
stand until glaze hardens.

    
 1993 3rd Place: Springerle
 
      Yield: 84 Servings
 
    1/2 T Baker's ammonia
      2 T  Milk
      6    Eggs,at,Room Temperature
  1 1/2 lb Confectioners' sugar
           (about 6 cups)
    1/2 C Unsalted butter,,Softened
    1/2 T Anise oil
    1/2 T Salt
      8 C Cake flour,,Sifted

Preparation time: 40 minutes Standing time: 1 hour plus overnight
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes Aging time: 1 week or more

1. Mash baker's ammonia with a rolling pin if it is not powdered.
Dissolve it in the milk in a small bowl and let stand 1 hour before
using.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl of electric mixer until thick and lemon-
colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until
creamy and smooth. Add butter and beat again until creamy. Add anise
oil, dissolved baker's ammonia and salt; beat to mix. Gradually beat in
enough flour to make a stiff dough.

3. Cut off pieces of dough and work in more flour on a floured work
surface until dough is stiff enough to roll out and hold the design of
the springerle rolling pin or mold. Roll out on a lightly floured board
with a floured rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Press design on dough
with a floured springerle rolling pin or mold. Cut cookies apart using
a floured knife. Leave on work surface covered with a clean kitchen
towel overnight.

4. The next day, heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies on greased
baking sheets, until barely golden on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool on wire racks. Store in tightly covered tins and allow to mellow
at least 1 week before serving.

Note: This recipe also can be made using 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
(in place of the milk and the baker's ammonia) and anise extract
instead of anise oil. However, the cookies will not be as delicately
textured and the anise flavor not quite as rich. If using baking powder,
add it with the salt to the batter.