Mennonite Black Pepper Cookies Recipes

PEPPERNUTS (PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs, anise extract, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, white pepper, and clove or cardamom into the bowl and mix until everything is incorporated.
• Add the flour into the dough and mix just until it is incorporated. You do not want to mix for a long time, just until the flour is incorporated in.
• Press the dough out to about 1" thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Divide your dough into 16 pieces. Press 1 piece of dough into a ball and roll it out between your hands and a clean work surface to form a thin rope, about 1/4" thick. Use a sharp knife (or I like to use a bench scraper) to cut out tiny nut size pieces of dough. Place on a baking sheet. You can completely fill your sheet in a single layer, but you will need to bake these in several batches to get them all baked. It typically works out to be cutting out the next sheet pan of cookies while the one before it bakes.
• Bake at 350F (177C) for 10-14 minutes, until a dark golden brown. Check the cookies at 10 minutes and bake longer if needed. The cookies will be slightly soft when they first come out of the oven but will become very crispy as the cool. Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat eggs with brown sugar. Stir in flour with baking soda, salt, spices and pepper. Add nuts, raisins and citron and stir to coat. Pour the egg-sugar mixture into flour mixture and stir to make a stiff dough. Chill.
• Using rounded teaspoonful of dough roll into balls with floured hands. Put on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

MENNONITE BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in medium saucepan.
• Add sugar, syrup, and vinegar.
• Bring mixture just to boiling.
• Immediately remove pan from heat; cool to room temperature.
• Stir in egg.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, pepper and anise seed in a medium bowl: (note if using anise extract instead of seed add it to the cooled butter/sugar mixture from the first step instead) Stir into egg mixture; mix well to form dough.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend and so that dough is firm enough to roll.
• Divide dough into four portions.
• Keep portions chilled until ready to roll.
• On lightly floured surface roll one portion very thin (less than 1/8 inch thick).
• Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
• Bake in a 375ºF oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until barely brown around the edges.
• Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.
• Repeat with remaining portions of dough.
• Store in covered tins.

MENNONITE SOFT WHITE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar together.
• Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Stir flour mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, into the creamed mixture, until it forms a soft ball. Add extra flour if necessary.
• Cover and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
• Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness, cut into circles or desired shapes and place on cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees F. for 9 minute.
• Mix all icing ingredients until mixture is of spreading consistency. Make sure butter/margarine is softened before using. You can also add food colouring if desired!
• When cookies are cool, ice with icing.
• Sprinkle coconut on tops as desired.

BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in center. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Beat in egg whites until incorporated. Combine flour and pepper in a small bowl; add to butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined.
• Put dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco #804). Pipe 3-inch strips about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping tip close to sheet for thin cookies. Bake until edges are golden and centers are set, about 7 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes before transferring with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

BLACK PEPPER BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients (except for the extra sugar for dipping the glass) together well using a heavy duty mixer.
• Roll into 1/2 inch size balls-you will need three large ungreased cookie sheets, 16 balls per sheet.
• Use the flat base of a drinking glass that has been dipped into sugar to flatten each dough ball on the cookie sheets.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F (or 180 C) oven for 8-11 minutes or until lighly browned on the edges- do not overbake.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.