Pfeffernüsse Cookies Recipe (Peppernuts Cookies)
User Reviews
4.7
Pfeffernüsse Cookies Recipe (Peppernuts Cookies)
Description
The Pfeffernüsse Cookies Recipe combines butter, brown and white sugars, molasses, and heavy cream with eggs and a blend of spices—cinnamon, ground cloves, and anise oil—resulting in a richly flavored dough. Leavening agents baking soda and baking powder balance texture in the presence of dense ingredients and large quantities of flour. The dough is stiff and requires mixing with a heavy-duty mixer or by hand once the flour is fully incorporated.
After chilling, cookies are shaped and baked at 375°F until done. Once cooled, they have a crisp texture with complex spice notes from the cinnamon, cloves, and anise oil. Pfeffernüsse are known to maintain quality for an extended time because of their dense, spiced nature.
These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month, retaining their crunchiness. For longer storage, they freeze effectively for three to four months, preserving their flavor and texture well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 egg large
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 teaspoon anise oil
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 baking powder level teaspoons
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add these ingredients: butter, brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, and cream, and mix well with the paddle attachment.
- Add the these ingredients to the mixture: eggs, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, anise oil, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well.
- Add one cup of flour at a time and mix until the flour is absorbed into the dough. You do not have to overmix it. Note that the dough gets very stiff and can easily burn out hand mixer motors. For this reason, you should use a heavy-duty stand mixer. In either case, if your mixer is struggling, then stop using the mixer and mix in the rest of the flour by hand. It can be quite a workout!
- Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and allow the dough to get a little stiffer.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). If you have a double oven, then preheat both ovens.
- Lay out aluminum foil for the baked cookies to cool on.
- Tape wax paper to the top of your table, counter, island, or other kitchen work area.
- Scoop out a lemon-sized amount of dough and roll it into a ball in your hands. Then, roll it in your hands.
- Place the dough ball onto the wax paper and use your palm and fingers to roll it out into a thin rope of dough 1/4 inch in diameter. The key is to be consistent and make these all the same size so they will cook in the same amount of time. If the dough is sticking to the wax paper, then sprinkle a small amount of flour on the wax paper to prevent this.
- Use a knife to cut the rope into small nut-sized pieces of dough.
- Then, place them on a baking sheet where they are not touching and there is room for them to grow as they bake so that the baked cookies won't be touching each other.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 8-12 minutes until they are a golden brown color. Check them at eight minutes and bake them longer if needed. Make sure that you do not bake them too long, or the underside will burn.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the aluminum foil. The cookies will be a little soft when they first come out of the oven but will become very crunchy as they cool.
- Repeat rolling the dough, cutting the dough, loading the baking sheets, and baking the cookies until you have used all the dough.
Notes
- After baking and cooling to crispness, store cookies in an airtight container to maintain crunch for up to one month at room temperature.
- Freeze cookies in freezer-safe containers or bags for 3-4 months to extend storage while preserving flavor and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 25cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 324 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cup | |
| Calories | 324kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 66g | 22% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.001g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 102mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 280mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 35g | 70% |
| Vitamin A | 175IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 67mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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