Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies)
An easy recipe for Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies) that are sweetened with brown sugar and molasses and a nice balance of spices plus a bonus of anise.
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Calories: 126kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter softened (2 ounces)
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar 157 grams
- 1 egg
- ½ cup molasses 170 grams
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 3 cups all purpose flour 360 grams
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons whole anise seeds
- ½ teaspoons ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Sugar Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon anise seeds crushed
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water then add it to the mixture and beat well.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, anise seeds, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened then mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Make certain to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate the ingredients thoroughly. The dough will be very thick and stiff (see notes). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Scoop large rounded tablespoons of dough then roll them into balls. Place them on a greased cookie sheet 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until puffed and cracked. Allow cookies to cool completely for 1 to 2 hours.
- Sugar Coating
- While the cookies are baking, make the sugar coating. In a medium saucepan combine the granulated sugar, water, and crushed anise seeds. Bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely.
- Place the powdered sugar in a separate dish such as a pie plate. Dip the cooled cookies into the syrup and scoop them out with a fork, allowing the excess syrup to drip off then roll them in the powdered sugar. Set them aside on a sheet of wax paper for 10 to 15 minutes while the powdered sugar soaks in, then dip them one more time into the powdered sugar to give them a final white coating.
Notes
- The dough will be very thick and stiff (see notes). Some electric mixers might not be strong enough to mix the dough, if yours is working too hard dump the dough onto a counter and kneed by hand.
- These are the perfect cookies to make ahead of time as they store well in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 1.5g | Sodium: 91mg | Sugar: 18g