Pfeffernüsse/ Peppernuts a simple German Christmas cookies made with spices, molasses and honey . Then these spiced cookies are glazed with sugar.
My kids got their favorite gift from Santa very happy and have already started to look forward to Santa’s visit next year.
This Christmas I didn’t get much time, I only got to make Christmas tree bread and this Pfeffernüsse/ Peppernuts. I made sugar cookies and did some simple decorations.
What is Pfeffernüsse/ Peppernuts
This is German spiced cookies which they make for Christmas and I was in my list for long time.
As usual this is an old cookie, there is no hard rule and I read several recipes, which differ from each other, some add egg, some without. Also spices addition is drastically differ from each other.
I finally settled with one recipe from German recipe site and added my own twist and spices. I increased the level of spices. As a spice lover I am stocking up almost all the spices I can get my hand on.
For me holiday baking is incomplete without the touch of ginger, cinnamon and allspice.
For this recipe I am happy to add white pepper, cardamom and anise seed. This is an easy recipe, first mix butter with sugar, honey, molasses and spices then mix with flour and baking soda. Finally mix in flour.
I read that you can glaze the cookies, or you can dust them with powdered sugar or even leave them as such.
I glazed it with sugar and arranged a holy leaf with berries on the top. Even though this cookie has three different kinds of sugar it is not so sweet. I think even with glaze it is not overly sweet.
Next in my list is Swedish Pepparkakor cookies which is another spice cookie made during Christmas time.
Spice cookies are best part of holidays, so give it a try you will love it. Let me know how it turned out.
Pfeffernüsse/ Peppernuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup / 187g All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon / 3g baking soda
- 3 tablespoon /41g butter
- 2 tablespoon /34g honey
- 2 ¾ tablespoon /2 tablespoon Molasses
- 2 tablespoon /30g Sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice
- ½ teaspoon anise seed
- Zest of one orange
- Glaze
- 2 cups of Confectioner’s sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a bowl add flour and baking soda and mix well and set aside.
- In another bowl heat butter, sugar, honey, molasses and spices and gradually add to the flour mix and then add egg and mix well.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough to overnight.
- Next morning pre-heat oven to 350F
- Cut the cookie dough into 2-inch pieces and bake for 10 minutes.
- Make glaze in a bowl and dip the cooled cookies. If you make thicker glaze then you get thicker white colored cookies.
- Enjoy Pfeffernusse with cup of coffee.
Video
Nutrition
1
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Swathi, these are so cute with the decoration, I just had to tweet it the other day. I love that they are not overly sweet - that's important to me, both for health and for flavor. I just don't think overly sweet things taste as good as they could.
Suja Manoj says
Festive cookies,looks yummy.