Easy to make, wonderfully fragrant and delicious, these are now a holiday favorite at our house. To make these little Peppernuts I doubled the quantity of ground spices in the original recipe and added some clear sugar crystals for sparkle and crunch. Try these little bite-sized cookies to enjoy the flavor and fragrance of the season.
Baking with Holiday Spices
This recipe, another nod to my fascination with miniatures, was discovered by my oldest son when he was in high school. He has enjoyed cooking from the time he was small. Over the years he spent many hours at our bookshelf thumbing through my collection of cookbooks. This recipe for Peppernuts must have caught his eye.
One December afternoon my son pulled a cookbook from the shelf and told me he was going to make Christmas cookies. He sounded like he knew what he was doing so I stepped out of his way. Soon flour, sugar and a collection of spices were out on the counter. He mixed and rolled and before long a warm holiday fragrance wafted through the house. I was delighted when he proudly shared bites of these wonderful little gems.
Sparkling Peppernuts: An Updated Classic
We have eaten Peppernuts many times since. Easy to make, wonderfully fragrant and delicious, these are now a holiday favorite at our house. What’s more, the recipe itself, especially when called Pfeffernuesse, hints at tradition and alludes to our German heritage. While there is no anise in this cookie, as in most traditional Pfefferneusse recipes, that is a plus in my book. I never cared for licorice flavors anyway. Instead these little nuggets are fragrant with festive cinnamon and allspice. They also contain a smidge of black pepper and cardamom to add some exotic interest.
When I make these little Peppernuts I double the quantity of ground spices in the original recipe and add some clear sugar crystals for sparkle and crunch. Try these little bite-sized cookies and enjoy the flavor and fragrance of the season.
Pfefferneusse (Peppernuts)
Course: DessertCuisine: GermanDifficulty: Easy30
minutes25
minutes1
minute
Easy to make and wonderfully fragrant and delicious, these sparkly bite-sized cookies have become a holiday favorite at our house.
Ingredients
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
coarse decorator’s sugar, if desired
Directions
- Combine molasses and butter in a large saucepan. Over low heat, stir until the butter melts. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Thoroughly combine flour, baking soda, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, allspice and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir egg into cooled molasses mixture. Add dry ingredients stirring just until combined.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate approximately 1 hour, or until dough is easy to handle.
- Divide dough into twelve equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a rope 10-inches long. Roll each rope in coarse decorator’s sugar, if desired. Cut these ropes into ½-inch lengths. Scatter the pieces on ungreased cookie sheets leaving approximately 1 inch between each.
- Bake at 350 degrees 10 – 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Share and enjoy!
Notes
- Adapted from a recipe in Cookies, Cookies, Cookies: Any-Day Treats & Christmastime Treats by Better Homes & Gardens
I'm sure yours are far superior…but I've been greatly enjoying the version that Trader Joe's has on offer this year. They seem to have a light glaze underneath a coating of powdered sugar. Mmmm. Germany at Christmas time is the best!
These look wonderful Lisa – good job. I had to laugh at the comment about "authenticity". While I also appreciate "tradition", don't we march to the beat of our own drums because we have our individual preferences? Isn't that what creative cooks do? Otherwise we'd all be buying from the same bakery.
YUMM-O..the scent of these baking must have made the house just simply smell of Christmas.
I can almost smell those from here. Spicy and sweet, sounds like a great combo to me. That is so cool that your son bakes!
authentic pfefferneusse cookies are rolled in powdered sugar, not coarse sugar.
I love the spice in these. I've never tried to make them. I'd love to give your recipe a try.
Hope you are keeping warm! 😀
so are they crunchy? i love the look of them, and those spices are all welcome to infiltrate my apartment any time. the nod to your heritage is great too. 🙂
These have been on my "got to do" list for a long, long time! I love them. I hope I can find time to make this happen this year!
Yummmm, I love these cookies but have never made them. Thanks for the recipe, Lisa. I can't wait to smell them baking.
Traditional cookies are a must at Christmas time.
These are not the Pfefferneusse my grandma used to make. She made ones with candied fruit inside and a glaze over the top. The recipe she used is even in German. I'll have to try these. They sound yummy!