Pfeffernuesse (German Peppernuts)
Submitted by Huskey'sBabe
Pfeffernuesse are traditional German Christmas peppernut cookies, fragrant with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a hint of black pepper, studded with citron and almonds and a touch of brandy. A heritage holiday cookie.
YIELD
90 cookiesPREP
8 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
9 hrsPfeffernuesse, German for ‘peppernuts,' are tiny Christmas cookies packed with warm spice and just a whisper of black pepper, the surprising kick behind the name. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and mace fill the dough, with citron, ground almonds, and a little brandy.
There’s no butter here, so structure comes from beating the eggs and sugar a full 15 minutes until thick and fluffy, almost like a sponge.
The unusual, essential step is the overnight rest. The cut cookies sit out uncovered overnight to dry the surface, which is what lets them ‘pop’ and bake into their signature firm little rounds.
A drop of brandy goes in the center of each before they bake low and slow. Fresh from the oven they’re hard, but that’s traditional, since they soften and mellow over days of storage, which makes them a great bake-ahead for the holidays.
Chef Tips
- Beat the eggs and sugar the full 15 minutes; that’s the cookies’ only structure, since there’s no butter.
- Don’t skip the overnight uncovered rest; it dries the surface so they bake up properly.
- Bake low and slow, and test by breaking one: if it’s not sticky inside, it’s done.
- Store them airtight for a few days, even weeks; they soften and the flavors meld.
Variations
- Glaze the cooled cookies with a thin powdered sugar icing, as is traditional.
- Add finely chopped candied orange peel along with the citron.
- Use rum or orange juice in place of the brandy.
Ingredients
Directions
Stir together flour, cinnamon, basking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt, pepper and mace; set aside.
In a large bowl beat eggs at medium speed of mixer until fluffy.
Gradually beat in sugar.
Continue beating 15 minutes longer or until thick and fluffy.
Add flour mixture in thirds, adding lemon peel, citron, and almonds to last third and blending thoroughly after each addition.
Turn half the dough out onto lightly floured surface.
Roll out ½ inch thick.
Cut with 1-inch round cutter (inside of doughnut cutter works well) and place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
Reroll scraps.
Let stand uncovered at room temperature overnight.
When ready to bake, turn cookies over so moist side is up; put drop of brandy in center of each.
Bake in preheated 300℉ (150℃). oven 20 minutes or until cookies pop and are baked through.
(Break one in half; if not sticky, it’s done.)
Remove to racks to cool.
Comments
Finally I found a peppernut recipe that resembles the one my family has made for 2 generations. Ours uses black walnuts and my grandma cut the citron out because grandpa didn't like it. Every other recipe I've found were for the powdered sugar cover ones or they contained some type of fat and were baked right away. And no brandy or whiskey (or in the case of some tea-totter cousins water) to make them pop.