Description
Pfeffernusse cookies bring German holiday magic to winter celebrations with their spicy-sweet charm. Rich molasses, warm cinnamon, and delicate pepper create a nostalgic treat that connects generations through delightful seasonal baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
Fats and Sweeteners:
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup shortening
- ¼ cup margarine
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons anise extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Melt sugar, honey, shortening, and margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture transforms into a silky, uniform consistency.
- Allow the heated blend to cool until it becomes comfortable to touch, then vigorously incorporate eggs, ensuring thorough integration.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, combine flour, freshly grated orange zest, brown sugar, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, ground black pepper, and salt, creating a fragrant dry ingredient base.
- Gradually fold the cooled liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until a cohesive dough forms.
- Refrigerate the dough for approximately 120 minutes (2 hours), allowing it to firm and develop deeper flavors.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius), preparing baking sheets with parchment paper or light greasing.
- Using your hands, roll the chilled dough into small, uniform spheres approximately the size of acorns (about 1 inch in diameter).
- Arrange the dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart to prevent merging during baking.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, watching for subtle surface cracking and a firm texture that indicates doneness.
- Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, allowing them to set completely at room temperature.
- Once cooled, delicately dust the cookies with powdered confectioners’ sugar for a final elegant touch.
- Store the finished cookies in an airtight container to maintain their delicate texture and flavor.
Notes
- Cooling the dough helps solidify butter, preventing cookies from becoming flat and misshapen during baking.
- Measuring ingredients precisely ensures consistent texture and flavor in every single batch.
- Spice intensity can be personalized by adding more or less black pepper and ginger according to taste preferences.
- Baking duration directly impacts cookie crunchiness, so watch closely for desired golden-brown edges.
- Powdered sugar creates a delightful snowy finish, adding visual appeal and a sweet, delicate coating to the cookies.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg