I came across this medieval earthenware cookie mold, featuring an image of the Annunciation. You can see Mary being told by the angel Gabriel that she will give birth to Jesus. In the upper corner of the mold, God sends the child to Earth with a cross over his shoulder. With this mold, people could bake thematically appropriate cookies on specific holidays, such as the Feast of the Annunciation. Maybe a little strange to sink your teeth into Mary, but certainly tasty. At least… I assume so. Unfortunately, no instructions were found with this medieval cookie mold.

I made a replica of the cooky mold an then Noor baked a few cookies using a traditional Springerle dough made of egg, flour, sugar, and anise. The dough must be firmly pressed into the mold with a little flour. At first glance, the imprint doesn’t look very clear, but in the following two days, the relief became sharper. That’s how long the cookies have to rest before they go into the oven! As a result, the top of the cookies dries out and becomes nice and crispy, while the bottom part can still rise.

 

The mold is from the Kunstgewerbemuseum and dates back to the second quarter of the 15th century. The scroll that Gabriel is holding reads “[ecce] ancilla d[omi]ni”: “behold, the handmaiden of the Lord”.