Description
German Mennonite Pfeffernusse Cookies, otherwise knows as peppernuts, are a crunchy spiced treat filled with clove, cardamom, and ginger.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (affiliate), room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (affiliate), lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons anise extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla (affiliate) extract (I don’t like anise flavor, so I do vanilla (affiliate), but anise is the traditional taste!)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (affiliate)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and extract, and mix until combined.
- Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, cardamom, clove, and flour and mix on medium low until all ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or the dough will get tough!
- Remove dough from the bowl and pat into a large round disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Remove dough from fridge and roll into 16-20 long snakes. Each snake/rope should be 1⁄4 inch in diameter.
- Use a sharp knife or a dough scraper to cut ropes into tiny pieces about 1⁄2 inch long.
- Spread little dough pieces onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until a dark golden brown.
- Remove from baking sheet to an airtight container and let cool before placing the lid on top. They will become very crunchy and delicious as they cool!
Notes
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.