Hildegard of Bingen – September 17
Born in 1098, Hildegard of Bingen lived a fascinating life. She was a Benedictine Abbess, artist, composer, pharmacist, theologian, poet, and mystic. Yet another saint was born into nobility before leaving that life behind to enter into religious life. She began receiving visions at the age of three and wrote them down. Later in life, she would be encouraged by Pope Eugene III to continue her writing which she did with various books and letters offering spiritual direction and encouragement. She would spend her life fighting for the truth,
challenging those who went against it, even to her detriment. Her life was spent following the Benedictine way and preaching the truth of Jesus Christ around the Rhineland. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her in 2012. One of Hildegard’s many gifts was in the area of pharmaceuticals. She worked with natural ingredients to make medicinal remedies for various ailments. Some of these remedies were based on the spices she used and baked into things. So this month, we have a recipe from the actual saint for the first time in this series. Here is HER spice cookie recipe -Hildegardplätzchen. Enjoy!
Ingredients
12 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raw honey
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
(you can usually find it in the baking aisle)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
Instructions
Melt the butter, then add it to a medium bowl with the sugar, honey, and egg yolks. Beat gently, then fold in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
Flour a surface and roll out the cookie dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into small circles using a cookie cutter or an upturned glass.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until a golden-brown. Let cool, then enjoy.