Familiar ethic Christmas cookies include Italian pizzelles, Polish kolaczky, and Scottish shortbread. But a Christmas sweet from Germany — springerle cookies — has somewhat slid into obscurity.

Fans of the unique cookie can, however, still obtain quality ones at Danish Bakers at 107 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge.

Springerle cookies (pronounced “spring-girl”) are made from a thick, sticky, anise-seeded dough that is imprinted with images before being cut, dried, and baked.

The result is a white cookie whose rise from an old-world leavening (hartshorn better known today as baker’s ammonia), causes them to rise.

The name springerle translates as “little jumper” from the Old German, a description of their resulting pillowy consistency after leaving the oven.

These cookies date back to the 14th century. The pictures they contain were often religious in nature, leading to their inclusion as a Yuletide treat.

Each December, Ian McCrimmon at Danish Bakers make them in 100-pound batches of batter.

“We make springerles at least once a week,” McCrimmon said in a 2014 interview for the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board.

“Each batch produces 1,600 cookies, so that’s at least 6,500 that we sell each week this season.”

More on springerle cookies and Danish Bakers can be found online at the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention site.

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Erica shows how we make Springerle cookies, a traditional German Christmas cookie.