Pfeffernüsse are German Christmas cookies spiced with black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and other spices. I have searched far and wide for a recipe that mimics my favorite, store-bought version of these cookies. After days of thrown-out cookies, I think I have come as close as I can get.
Ingredients
- molasses: 0.5 cup
- honey: 0.25 cup
- shortening: 0.25 cup
- margarine: 0.25 cup
- eggs: 2 piece
- all-purpose flour: 4 cups
- white sugar: 0.75 cup
- brown sugar: 0.5 cup
- anise extract: 2 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 2 tsp
- ½ teaspoons ground cardamom: 1 piece
- ½ teaspoons baking soda: 1 piece
- ground cloves: 1 tsp
- ground nutmeg: 1 tsp
- ground ginger: 1 tsp
- ground black pepper: 1 tsp
- salt: 0.5 tsp
- confectioners' sugar for dusting: 1 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place molasses, honey, shortening, and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until creamy. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, anise, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Add molasses mixture; stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate dough until well chilled, about 2 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
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Roll dough into acorn-sized balls and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Bake in the preheated oven until firm to the touch with slight cracking, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Dust cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
