Pfeffernussen are traditional German cookies. Mildly sweet and full of flavor, these are a holiday favorite!
The holidays mean many things to many people. They mean family and friends. Travel and reunions. Memories and great food. Often, the holidays mean a carrying on of traditions that have been passed down for generations.
These little cookies are a nod to my German ancestry.
Pfeffernussen get their name from the array of spices contained in them…in particular a spice you wouldn’t ordinarily think of in cookies. Black Pepper. But don’t let that scare you!
Their size & shape look like little nuts, and so pepper nuts is where the name comes from.
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To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
You will then combine your dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl: 2 1/4 flour, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves. Stir them together and set them aside.
In your mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup molasses…
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 c) room temperature butter and a half teaspoon of vanilla. Cream those all together until smooth.
Add in one egg and mix until incorporated, being sure to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Mix in your dry ingredients until just combined.
This will make a very stiff dough.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a measuring scoop, or spoon for equal portions, scoop a tablespoon of dough into your hand and roll it into a smooth ball that is just over an inch in size. Place it on the parchment paper. Continue to roll balls of dough placing them about an inch and a half apart. These cookies do not expand a great deal, so I will bake 16 at a time on a standard-sized baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are rather firm to the touch, and have little cracks on them.
Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. While they are cooling, put about a cup or so of powdered sugar in a paper sack.
After they have cooled 10 minutes, take a couple cookies at a time and place them in the bag. Roll the top shut and give it a shake to coat them. Take them out and set them on a rack to finish cooling.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Note: these cookies are very firm. If you feel they are too hard for your liking, place them in an air-tight container with a slice of apple. The moisture from the apple can soften them just a tad.
Enjoy!
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Candy Cane Cookie Bars
Spritzgebäck: German Butter Cookies
Gingerbread Brownies
Snowball Cookies
