Pfeffernüsse cookies are a traditional German Christmas cookie that dates back to the Middle Ages. They are small, round cookies that are flavored with a variety of spices, including pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and nuts. Some recipes also include honey or molasses. Pfeffernüsse cookies are typically baked until they are golden brown and have a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. They are often dusted with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar before serving.
This article provides three different recipes for Pfeffernüsse cookies. The first recipe is a traditional German recipe that uses a combination of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, nuts, and spices. The second recipe is a vegan version of the cookies that uses plant-based butter and eggs. The third recipe is a gluten-free version of the cookies that uses a combination of almond flour, oat flour, and tapioca flour. All three recipes are easy to follow and can be made with common ingredients. They are perfect for baking during the holiday season or for enjoying anytime of year. No matter which recipe you choose, you are sure to enjoy these delicious and festive cookies.
PFEFFERNUSSE
These nut-sized cookies are spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and pepper. They are called Pepperkaker, in Norway.
Provided by Kristi
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European German
Yield 96
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time. Add almonds, if desired.
- Roll into one inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 11 to 14 minutes.
- Cool and store in airtight containers for 3 days to mellow flavors.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 50.7 calories, Carbohydrate 7.1 g, Cholesterol 7.7 mg, Fat 2.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 0.9 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 42.4 mg, Sugar 2.9 g
GERMAN SPICE COOKIES (PFEFFERNUSSE)
German for "pepper nut," pfeffernusse cookies are named for the pinch of pepper added to the dough before baking. It joins a quartet of warm spices -- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about 60
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Pinch off a heaping teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough, spacing balls 1 1/2 inches apart. (Dough can be frozen at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, up to 1 month.)
- Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze: Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk, and kirsch, if desired. Using a fork, dip each cookie in glaze to coat. Tap to remove excess glaze and place on wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- To decorate: While the glaze is still wet, top cookies with a small pinch of peppercorns, if desired. Alternatively, let glaze dry completely before mixing together luster dust and kirsch with a small paintbrush. Lightly brush tops of cookies with luster dust mixture, if desired. Let dry before serving. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
PFEFFERNUESSE COOKIES
A German holiday tradition, these fragrant cookies pack a warm rush of spices in every bite. Also called peppernuts, they go wonderfully with coffee or tea.-Joanne Nelson, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 50m
Yield 10 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, combine molasses, honey, butter and shortening. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in eggs and extract., Combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and salt. Gradually add molasses mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies to wire racks. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 42 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 4mg cholesterol, Sodium 31mg sodium, Carbohydrate 8g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES
I have searched far and wide for a recipe that mimics my favorite, store-bought version of these cookies. I think, after days of thrown-out cookies, I have come as close as I can get.
Provided by Thebeansma
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European German
Time 3h
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Stir together the molasses, honey, shortening, and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until creamy. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the eggs.
- Combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, anise, cinnamon, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the molasses mixture and stir until thoroughly combines. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll the dough into acorn-sized balls. Arrange on baking sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart.
- Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes. Move to a rack to cool. Dust cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 284 calories, Carbohydrate 53.9 g, Cholesterol 20.7 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 3.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.4 g, Sodium 212.8 mg, Sugar 30.2 g
PFEFFERNUSSE (GERMAN PEPPER NUT COOKIES )
This is from Williams Sonoma and it has been a family favorite for years. It is a great twist on Gingerbread cookies.
Provided by Zookeenee
Categories Dessert
Time 59m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, pepper, aniseeds, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a large bowl, using an electic mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar and molasses until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
- Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Butter 2 baking sheets, scoop up pieces of dough and roll between your palms into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Place the balls on the cookie sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and firm to the touch, about 14 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool slightly on the sheets.
- Place the confectioners' sugar in a sturdy paper bag, drop a few cookies into the bag, close the top securely, and shake gently to coat the warm cookies with the sugar.
- Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
PFEFFERNüSSE (GERMAN "PEPPER-NUT" CHRISTMAS COOKIES)
The name "Pfeffernüsse" translates to pepper-nut, even though these cookies don't contain either. Back in the day, "pepper" was a generic name for any type of spice, and these were were called "nuts" because they looked like nuts! Misleading names aside, I think this is the best Christmas cookie of all time. They're soft and chewy with a thin, crisp icing and the perfect combination of warming winter spices. Pack up a tin and share these delicious cookies with family and friends!
Provided by Chef John
Categories German Cookies
Time P1DT1h50m
Yield 52
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Combine white and brown sugars in a saucepan with honey, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Place over medium heat and whisk until the sugars dissolve and it just starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add salt, baking soda, heavy cream, and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until everything comes together as a dough.
- Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a ball and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator and let rest for 1 to 2 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop into rounded teaspoons. Roll each one into a smooth ball if desired, and place on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cookies are perfectly dome-shaped with light golden brown bottoms, 9 to 10 minutes; don't overbake. Let cool on the pan all the way down to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the cookies are cooling, repeat Steps 5 and 6 to shape and bake the remaining cookies.
- Make icing by placing powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, a few teaspoons at a time, until icing is very thick, but still slightly runny.
- Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing. Let it drip, then flip it over and place on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper and let harden.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 67.7 calories, Carbohydrate 15.6 g, Cholesterol 4.4 mg, Fat 0.4 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 81.8 mg
PFEFFERNÜSSE COOKIES
Steps:
- 1. In a heavy bottomed, nonreactive, 1 to 1-1/2 quart pot, combine the molasses, honey, and butter. Place the pot over low heat, stirring often until the butter has melted, all the ingredients are completely combined, and the mixture is creamy. Do not boil. Remove the pot from the heat, pour the mixture into a large bowl, and set aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir in the beaten eggs and the anise extract. 2. While the mixture is cooling, sift together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and salt in a separate bowl. When the molasses mixture has reached room temperature, stir in the beaten eggs and the anise extract. With a large wooden spoon, gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined (the dough will be a stiff dough by this point). Chill the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. 3. After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease several baking sheets. Roll the dough into small balls (about 1/2-inch in diameter). Place the balls on the greased baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart, as they will spread slightly. 4. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies have lost their shiny look and are slightly firm to the touch (but still soft). The cookies may have some small cracks as well. Using a thin spatula to remove the cookies from the baking sheet, move them to a rack to cool. Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll each cookie in sifted confectioners' sugar to coat thoroughly. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers at room temperature. Allow the cookies to "age" at least 24 hours before serving (a few days to a week is even better). If desired, roll cookies in confectioners' sugar to coat them once more before serving.
CHRISTMAS PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES
I got this delicious German spice cookie recipe from a local newspaper. Instead of using light molasses like the recipe calls for, I use regular molasses beacause I like the darker color.
Provided by Cupcake-Princess
Categories Dessert
Time 22m
Yield 24-30 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, pepper, aniseeds, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed cream butter, sugar, and molasses until fluffy. Beat in egg. On low speed gradually add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease baking sheets. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch sized balls. Place balls two inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- When cookies are cool enough to handle, but still warm roll in powdered sugar. Transfer cookies to cooling racks to cool completley.
PFEFFRNUSSE COOKIES
Make and share this Pfeffrnusse Cookies recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Mirj2338
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 3 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
- Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cloves and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat shortening, until creamy, gradually beat in honey and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in egg, then lower mixer speed and gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until blended.
- Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized balls and roll into balls.
- Dust hands with confectioner's sugar to prevent sticking while forming cookies.
- Place balls an inch apart on prepared baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes, or until golden and slightly cracked.
- Cool slightly on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack.
- When cookies are still lightly warm, roll in confectioner's sugar to completely coat the cookies.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 943.2, Fat 7.5, SaturatedFat 2, Cholesterol 70.5, Sodium 631, Carbohydrate 206.4, Fiber 5, Sugar 93.4, Protein 17.6
Tips:
- Measure ingredients accurately: This is especially important for baking, as precise measurements ensure consistent results. Use measuring cups and spoons, and level off dry ingredients with a knife.
- Use high-quality ingredients: Better ingredients generally lead to better cookies. Use real butter, pure vanilla extract, and fresh spices.
- Chill the dough before baking: This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much. If the dough is too warm, it will be difficult to handle and the cookies will be more likely to flatten out.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set: Overbaking will make the cookies dry and crumbly. The cookies should be slightly soft in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing: This will help them keep their shape and flavor. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Conclusion:
Pfeffernusse cookies are a classic holiday treat that is easy to make and loved by people of all ages. With their unique flavor and festive appearance, these cookies are sure to be a hit at your next holiday party. So gather your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to bake some delicious Pfeffernusse cookies!
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