Peppernuts – not peppermints! – are a German spice cookie Christmas tradition. Crunchy and fragrant, they’re usually cut small and enjoyed by the handful. We also roll out some of the dough with a rolling pin and cut some shapes. Gingerbread men are nice for tea parties with friends. They’re not soft gingerbread, but a crisp and flavorful cookie.
Christmas candies and cookies are especially good with a hot beverage. Tea, hot cocoa, chai latte, or a cup of coffee paired with a little plate of peppernuts and cherry mash makes a lovely cold afternoon pick-me-up.
This recipe is large – and easy to cut in half if desired. But once your family tries peppernuts, you will probably be glad you made the full recipe. They store well for a month or more. Store them in airtight glass jars or a cookie jar, available for grabbing a handful any time.
Peppernuts
Ingredients
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c margarine
- 1/2 c corn syrup
- 1/2 c molasses
- 1 t soda
- 1/4 c milk
- 6 c flour
- 1 1/2 t cloves
- 1 1/2 t ginger
- 1 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1 1/2 t allspice
- 1 t salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 T vanilla
- 3/4 c nuts, finely chopped optional
Instructions
- First, combine baking soda with milk and set aside
- In a large saucepan, melt margarine, sugar, syrup, and molasses, stirring until dissolved
- Remove from heat and add soda/milk mixture. This will be bubbly. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Separately, combine dry ingredients and stir half into the saucepan mixture. Then add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine
- Add rest of dry ingredients. Add nuts if desired.
- Mix thoroughly, shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Chill for an hour or up to several days.
- Take small portions (baseball sized) and roll into a long rope on a mat or cutting board and cut into uniform pieces.
- Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing a little bit of room for rising.
- Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Adjust time a minute or two as needed.
- If you choose to roll out a 1/4" flat and make cut-out cookies, dip your cookie cutter into a bowl of powdered sugar to aid in the dough releasing from the cutter. Bake cut-outs for 8-9 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
- Nuts: use finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Be sure they are chopped well so you are able to roll out the dough. It is fine to leave them out.
- The dough will be sticky, then when you refrigerate, it becomes easier to handle. Don't add a lot of flour, because then the baked cookies will be too hard.
- This is a large recipe. Since it has two eggs, it is easy recipe to cut it in half.
- When rolling out the dough for cut out gingerbread men, use a light dusting of powdered sugar instead of flour to provide easier release. Also, tap the cookie cutter into a dish of powdered sugar before each cut. The touch of sweetness is nice and eliminates the dough becoming over floured
- These are good served with Pumpkin Dip or Pumpkin Mousse
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