Vegan Month of Food 2016 - Day 29 "Test Run & Fail"

It's day number twenty nine for Month of Food, and I cannot believe it. Where did the time go, for reals. Today we're supposed to bring you our "holiday test run" and "fails" recipes or something along those lines. Fails. I could wax poetic on fails for days and days on end. I think what I'm working on today will be in the "fail" category, but we won't know til tomorrow. More on that in just a moment.

If anyone may be wondering what happened to the preplanned videos I shot, as I had a few in the tank so to speak, they got eaten by the devil that is the computer. Gone. Vanished. So, I've been plugging along on a daily basis mostly. And, for those who also may be wondering about the Key deer, things are improving. You can see my mentions of that occasionally on our Facebook page, and the Key Deer Refuges page offering regular updates (they've just moved to a weekly update, from daily).

A few years ago, I was gifted a beautiful rolling pin for Springerle.  I had no idea what it was for, but to me it was art. I loved it just for it's form, never mind the function. I had always been drawn to them in antique shops by the way, but couldn't believe the pricing. Then a friend gave me that one, and I thought wow, this is amazing.

I never used it.

Last year I finally figured out what Springerle is all about. I wanted to veganize it. My pin had vanished. Things like that happen when you move 4 times in one year (I had a year like that once, I hope you never do, it's awful) or when you move 2000 miles away from what was once home. Thus, I took to begging on the internet to my friends if anyone had a loaner they would let me use. No one had one. Springerle did not happen.

Then, a very special person in my life mailed me a new Springerle pin. I put it in my drawer where I keep the other pins.... I used to "collect' vintage rolling pins, but I donated them to thrifts mostly in my efforts to keep clutter at bay. I kept only those which I use (ok, I do have one that was my grandfathers, but that's a story for another day). The Springerle pin made the cut, and was tucked safely in that drawer.

After reading the history of Springerle, and looking at quite a few traditional recipes, I settled on one to veganize with some additional adjustments to measurements as well. Springerle has to sit for 24 hours before baking, it creates a "step" on the bottom of the cookie or something similar (if done properly) when the cookie dries out during these 24 hours which is also very desired in the finished cookie appearance. I believe my cookies will be a fail. The dough was tough and springy, not what I expected. I rolled them out flat, then used my fancy pin. I cut the cookies with a pizza cutter, and then set them on a sheet which I had dusted with ground whole star anise (seeds were not available anywhere down here that I looked). The house still smells like licorice, I have no problem with that. But, when I went to check on my Springerle to take pictures for you, most of the embossing has been lost. I'm so disappointed. I don't see how these are going to be good at all. These probably are the type of cookies that look very simple, but take a real expert to do properly. My version of Italian Christmas cookies are like that.... the recipe is so basic and simple, but one wrong move in technique and the entire cookie is ruined. It doesn't help at all that I've never even tasted a Springerle either. Anyway, here's my Springerle:

Tomorrow is our last day in Vegan Month of Food for 2016. I'll try not to let you down for the swan song here.

xo