Aachener Printen

For best results, use a kitchen scale to make these delicate, but delicious cookies from Germany.

500 grams dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
10 grams potash
1 tablespoon rum
150 grams rock candy
100 grams sugar
60 grams candied orange peel, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons aniseed, ground
2 teaspoons coriander, ground
1 pinch cloves, ground
600 grams flour
Some dark syrup and water

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together syrup and water until hot. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Dissolve the potash in the rum. Break the rock candy into very small pieces. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and knead until dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and let dough rest for 5 days in a cool place. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease baking sheets. On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut out 1-inch by 2-inch rectangles. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool for one minute on baking sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Glaze the cookies with a mixture of one part syrup to one part water. When dry, store in tins at room temperature.

Reviews of Aachener Printen:

1-3 of 3 reviews  

  Katrina in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada  Dec 3, 2007
Would make this again.
My family is from Germany and we can find many German goodies here in Canada at Christmas - except for Printen. I made these last year and we all loved them. My mom thought that they tasted better than the ones she had brought back from Germany. They are now on my list of "musts" for Christmas baking.

Some ingredients were near impossible for me to find. Potash was replaced with baking soda; rock candy (last year) was found through Epicure (pricey); dark syrup was replaced with corn syrup. five stars

  brittany in canada  Nov 27, 2005
Would make this again.
I made this for my grandpas birthday and he said that he loved them so much he wanted me to make another batch right that second! four stars

  Ellie in Toledo, OH  Mar 9, 2003
Would make this again.
I love this cookie so bad I would marry it! five stars

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