Turn on your favorite holiday music, put on your apron and start baking! The recipe comes from Martha Stewart. These cookies are a big favorite in Germany and are called Pfeffernüsse, pepper nuts in English. The small, round shaped cookies are made with gingerbread spices and molasses and then are iced on the outside. Martha also did a little twist to the original German cookie recipe and added red peppercorns. And the smell of all these spices in the kitchen …
I think the red peppercorns elevated these cookies to another level. Yes, the cookies are already well flavored with many spices but these sweet red peppercorns bring everything together. Red peppers come from a flowering plant, Schinus terebinthifolius and are not peppers but belong to the cashew family. They are readily available in specialty stores. Taste it, it has a very unique, pleasant flavor.
Why are these cookies called pepper cookies? The cookies are made with spices cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, black pepper and they are essential part of the recipe. So make sure they are high quality and fresh. I bought the whole spices and ended up grinding them in a mortar.
The recipe asks for confectioners’ sugar to make the glaze. Make sure you use this type of sugar instead of just the regular sugar. Confectioners’ sugar is lightly powdered sugar with starch added to prevent it from caking as it sits. I didn’t have any at home so I grounded granulated sugar quickly in the grinder and added cornstarch. (I added 1 tbsp cornstarch to 1 cup of ground sugar).
For glazing, try to use a taller, narrow dish to dip the cookies if possible. You need vertical space to coat the cookies.
The recipe also uses alcohol called kirsch. I didn’t have any so I used Hungarian plum brandy. You can also substitute with dry vermouth, grappa, or white (aka silver) rum. It is optional of course. Just make sure you are not using any sticky-sweet red liqueur concoctions.
You can add edible glitter if you want to make the cookies more festive. I didn’t use it as I don’t have it.
Another change I made to the recipe was letting the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight. In Martha’s recipe, the cookies are baked immediately after they are assembled. However, traditionally, the cookies are put in the refrigerator for some time. It allows the flour to fully hydrate, prevents spreading and allows the complex spice flavors to meld and deepen.
I also tried letting the cookies sit overnight on the counter and this method worked well too. I prepared the cookies, put them on the cookie sheets and baked them the next day. While the dough is traditionally refrigerated, this method worked fine too. The cookies tasted the same. The only difference is that the cookies will expand and be bigger in size.
Like any gingerbread dough, you can eat these cookies immediately but will taste even better in a week. They just need a little time to soften and the spices to settle. Otherwise these are fabulous cookies, well worth the time and effort. They taste just like the cookies from Germany.
RECIPE
Please read comments above.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup milk or water
- 1 teaspoon kirsch or other cherry-flavored liqueur (dry vermouth, grappa, or white (aka silver) rum, Hungarian pálinka) – optional
To decorate (optional)
- Coarsely ground pink peppercorns
- 1 tsp edible glitter (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets. Take the butter out of the refrigerator.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, cream eggs, brown sugar and molasses or until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla, flour mixture; mix until just combined. Wrap the dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight but at least for 3 hours.
4. Work in a cool space, maybe open the window. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and immediately roll it into two strands, each 3/4 inch thick. Slice the rolls into 3/4 inch thick rounds and roll each round into a ball (each ball be about 3/4 inch large). Note: You can make them any size. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough, spacing balls 1 1/2 inches apart. (Try to do this step as fast as possible so the dough doesn’t get too warm).
5. Baking. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Glaze: Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. In a medium bowl (tall and narrow), whisk together confectioners’ sugar, water and kirsch, if desired. Using a fork, dip each cookie in the glaze to coat. A quick dip and gentle shake off are all you need. Place on wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining cookies.
7. To decorate (if desired): While the glaze is still wet, top cookies with a small pinch of peppercorns and the edible glitter.
Storage. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks (below 75 F).
Enjoy! Frohe Weihnachten!
Twin Cities Herbs 