Recipes From Readers: Peppernuts (Pfeffernüsse)

These wonderful little anise-flavored Christmas cookies will fill anyone with holiday cheer. Originating in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, these cookies were made to be small and crunchy so farmers and school children could carry them in their pockets as they went about their day. This particular recipe came from the Mennonite community of Germans that settled in the mid-western United States.

Photo by Ella Kindall 

3 sticks (1 ½ cups) butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups white sugar

1 ½ cups brown sugar

3 Tbsp white corn syrup or honey

2 eggs

Dash of salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp Anise extract

5 cups flour

¾ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cream the butter and the sugars together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture has lightened in color and looks fluffy. 

3. Mix in the eggs and the syrup and set aside. 

4. In another bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until incorporated. 

5. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure all the flour is mixed in, and you are left with a light brown dough. 

6. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

7. Take the dough out of the fridge and grab a manageable portion to work with. 

8. Roll it into a small log that’s a little smaller than the size of a dime. 

9. Using a knife, cut the log into little nuggets. They should be about a centimeter long.

10. Place the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about eight minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they will burn quickly due to their size. 

11. Once they’re done, take them out of the oven and let cool on the pan for a few minutes until hard.

12. Scrape them off the pan with a spatula and enjoy!

Originally published in the Winter 2020-21 issue of Spoke+Blossom.