Description
Festive German Pfeffernusse cookies blend warm spices with rich molasses for a traditional holiday treat. Delicate yet complex, these small pepper nut cookies offer sweet memories of Christmas celebrations with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (170 g) molasses
- ¼ cup (85 g) honey
- ¼ cup (56 g) shortening
- ¼ cup (57 g) margarine
- 2 tsp anise extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preparation: Melt sugar, honey, shortening, and margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes silky and uniform.
- Cooling and Mixing: Remove from heat and let the blend cool until comfortable to touch. Vigorously whisk in eggs until fully integrated.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, orange zest, brown sugar, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, and salt to create a fragrant dry ingredient foundation.
- Dough Formation: Gradually incorporate the cooled liquid mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until a cohesive dough develops. Refrigerate for 2 hours to enhance flavor and firmness.
- Oven Preparation: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease.
- Shaping and Baking: Roll chilled dough into small, uniform spheres about 1 inch in diameter. Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake 12-15 minutes until surfaces crack slightly and cookies feel firm.
- Finishing Touches: Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered confectioners’ sugar for an elegant finish. Store in an airtight container to preserve texture and flavor.
Notes
- Chill Thoroughly: Refrigerate dough for full 2 hours to develop complex spice flavors and ensure proper cookie texture.
- Size Matters: Roll dough into consistent acorn-sized balls (about 1 inch) for uniform baking and professional appearance.
- Watch Carefully: Bake precisely 12-15 minutes, looking for subtle surface cracking as the key doneness indicator.
- Spice Strategy: Use freshly grated spices like orange zest and whole ground spices for maximum aromatic intensity and depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 48
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg