German Pfeffernüsse Cookies

[ladysylpher]

German Pfeffernusse Cookies -- 2 version I will post here.

Another version I found here at The Barefoot Kitchen Witch site

version 1 from All recipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Lemon Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Anise Extract
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cloves
• 1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Place brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl. Cream with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. Add remaining ingredients, except confectioners sugar, to sifted flour and sift again. Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into ovals and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Remove from cookie sheets and place on wire racks. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar while cookies are still warm. When cookies are cool, store in airtight containers.
   
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
5. 
   
6. 
   
7. Pfeffernüsse
                                                                   ¼ cup molasses
   1 ¼ cups honey
   ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
   4 cups all-purpose flour
   2 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
   1 tsp. baking soda
   ½ tsp. ground cardamom
   Scant ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
   ¼ tsp. ground allspice
   ¼ tsp. ground cloves
   Scant ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
   Pinch salt
   1 large egg, slightly beaten
   ¼ tsp. pure anise extract
   confectioners sugar for dusting
   
   Part 1 -
   In nonreactive pot, combine molasses, honey, and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has melted. The mixture will become thin but make sure it does not boil. Remove from heat, transfer into pour into large bowl, and cool to lukewarm. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Once the honey mixture has reached lukewarm temperature, beat in beaten egg and anise extract. Mix well. The, gradually stir in dry ingredients to make a stiff(but sticky) dough. Refrigerate until cold. Then, wrap and chill again - 5 hours to overnight.
   
   
   Part 2 -
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets.
   
   Roll dough the dough into 1-inch diameter. Bake 11-14 minutes, switching sheet back-to-front about halfway through the baking. When done, they may have small cracks, but that’s fine. The cookies will also be soft at first, but harden as they cool.
   
   Cool cookies completely. Once cooled, roll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar, coating thoroughly.
   
   Cookie Note: When storing in the airtight container, separate the layers. Like fruit cake, or pound cake, these cookies get better as they age. Although it is hard, eating them a day or two after baking will prove quite satisfying. If desired, roll cookies in confectioners' sugar to coat once more before serving.

This recipe is from Mele Cotte blogspot... 12 days of cookies.

[EiEiO]

Dec. 7, 2008 at 7:23 PM

You make "em..I'll try 'em! ;) 

[CheshireHope]

Dec. 7, 2008 at 8:24 PM

i'm gonna make those too.

thanks for posting this.