Our Christmas Traditional Pfeffernusse Recipes

PFEFFERNüSSE (GERMAN "PEPPER-NUT" CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine white and brown sugars in a saucepan with honey, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Place over medium heat and whisk until the sugars dissolve and it just starts to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add salt, baking soda, heavy cream, and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until everything comes together as a dough.
• Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a ball and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator and let rest for 1 to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop into rounded teaspoons. Roll each one into a smooth ball if desired, and place on a prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cookies are perfectly dome-shaped with light golden brown bottoms, 9 to 10 minutes; don't overbake. Let cool on the pan all the way down to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
• While the cookies are cooling, repeat Steps 5 and 6 to shape and bake the remaining cookies.
• Make icing by placing powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, a few teaspoons at a time, until icing is very thick, but still slightly runny.
• Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing. Let it drip, then flip it over and place on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper and let harden.

OUR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE

Steps:

• 1. Traditionally these are started the first week of December and stored until Christmas Eve.
• 2. Add all dry ingredients together, except the brown sugar. Add the orange zest, eggs, chopped nuts and brown sugar to the flour mixture. Mix well with your hands.
• 3. Roll into a long roll on a lightly flours surface. Set in icebox for a couple of houses.
• 4. Sit down and have a nice cup of coffee, tea or hot choocolate, you deserve it. Oh, go on have a cookie too, you know you want one.
• 5. Cut dough..form into balls, with lightly floured hands, to the size of walnuts.
• 6. Place Pfeffernusse on a lightly greased coated cookie sheet.
• 7. Cover balls with a flour towel and let stand till room temp.
• 8. Oh, go on have another cup of coffee, tea, Hot Swiss Miss and a sandwich.
• 9. Bake at 350* in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
• 10. Place warm cookies in powered sugar to coat.
• 11. Or let them cool on a rack. And then roll them in the frosting..set them on a rack to drip that has waxpaper underneath.
• 12. Store in cookie tins, glass jar, or coffee cans between waxpaper. Put a right lid on and store till Christmas Eve.