Pfeffernüsse

Pfeffernüsse

I adapted this recipe for Pfeffernüsse from Chatelaine magazine. I've tinkered with this recipe for 4 years and this is the closet to the original German Pfeffernüsse I've tasted. Much spicier!

The dough for this recipe needs to be refrigerated for 8 hours. You’ll need a large bowl, a medium bowl, a food-processor, and a hand-mixer, cooking rack. It makes around 40 cookies.

¾ cup of candied peel, (lemon, orange or citron)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup ground almonds

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp each of baking soda, nutmeg, ground cloves

¼ tsp salt and pepper

2 eggs

¾ cup each granulated sugar and brown sugar

Vegetable oil

Icing sugar

In a food processor combine together 1 tbsp of flour with the peel until ground. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir 2 cups of flour with almonds, spices, baking soda, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl beat the eggs with the sugars for about 3 minutes. Then gradually beat in the flour mixture, then add the candied peel mixture. Continue beating until dough begins to form into a ball.

Remove from bowl and cover the ball of dough in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Refrigerate for 8 hours to allow the flavours to develop. (At this stage, I find the dough so delicious I can’t help but sample repeatedly).

To bake preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or use a Silpat. Arrange oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven.

Pinch off some dough and form a ball about 1 inch wide. Cover your two baking sheets by repeating this and by placing the balls about 2 inches apart.

Bake on two racks, switching the position of the cookie sheets halfway through until cookies are lightly golden, about 12 to 14 minutes.

After you’ve moved the pfeffernüsse to a cooling rack, roll them in icing sugar while they are still warm.

I hope you like them.Guten appetit.