Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes German Spice Cookies (Pfeffernusse) 4.1 (153) These traditional German cookies are made with gingerbread spices and glazed with kirsch-spiked icing. Servings: 60 Jump to recipe A traditional Christmas favorite in Germany and Austria, pfeffernusse cookies get their depth and spicy warmth from the combination of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, molasses, and freshly ground pepper. Even if you don’t speak German, you may be able to guess at the translation of “pfeffernusse.” It means “pepper nuts” a perfectly apt description for these small, rich, semi-spherical cookies that carry the bite and heat of black pepper. Although it's not strictly traditional to decorate pfeffernusse, Martha’s version goes all-out for the holidays with a glossy glaze of confectioners’ sugar, milk, and a little splash of kirsch. The glazed cookies can be decked out with crushed pink peppercorns, or painted with gorgeous gold luster dust. It's the finishing touches that take the cookies from ordinary to extraordinary! How to Host a Cookie Swap, the Sweetest Holiday Party Credit: Brie Goldman Martha's Secret Ingredient: What Is Kirsch? Kirsch (aka kirschwasser) is a clear brandy distilled from cherries and their pits. It’s the secret ingredient in traditional Black Forest cherry cakes and cherries jubilee. It frequently stars in Swiss fondue, too. Martha uses it in the glaze for her German spice cookies. Kirsch packs a punch, and it is not sweet, so don’t get it confused with any sticky-sweet red liqueur concoctions. If you don’t want to buy a whole bottle of kirsch just to use a tiny bit in this one recipe, you can substitute dry vermouth, grappa, or white (aka silver) rum, or skip this ingredient altogether. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Preheat oven, prep baking sheets, and combine dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside Credit: Brie Goldman Beat butter sugar and molasses, add egg and vanilla: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Before measuring the molasses, coat the measuring cup with vegetable oil cooking spray. The molasses will slide right out like a miracle, with no sticky mess left behind. Credit: Brie Goldman Add flour mixture: With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Form cookies: Pinch off a heaping teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough, spacing balls 1 1/2 inches apart. Credit: Brie Goldman Dough can be frozen at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Bake: Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool completely. Credit: Brie Goldman Make glaze and dip cookies: Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk, and kirsch, if desired. Using a fork, dip each cookie in glaze to coat. Tap to remove excess glaze and place on wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining cookies. Credit: Brie Goldman Deocrate cookies (optional): While the glaze is still wet, top cookies with a small pinch of peppercorns, if desired. Alternatively, let glaze dry completely before mixing together luster dust and kirsch with a small paintbrush. Lightly brush tops of cookies with luster dust mixture, if desired. Let dry before serving. Credit: Brie Goldman Don’t be afraid of the. pink peppercorns: Since the pfeffernusse dough is already flavored with black pepper, it may seem like overload to decorate the cookies with even more peppercorns. However, pink peppercorns aren’t actually pepper at all—they come from a tree in the cashew family. Pink peppercorns are mildly sweet and highly aromatic, adding a beautiful, fragrant decoration to your pfeffernusse without adding more peppery heat. Variation: Decorating With Confectioners' Sugar Not a Glaze You can skip the glaze and decorations and finish the cookies with confectioners' sugar instead: Place 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar in a brown paper bag. After baking, transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Working in batches, place cookies in paper bag; shake until well coated. Let cool completely on wire rack. Storing Pfeffernusse The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. 8 Spice Cookie Recipes from Around the Globe Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies Pryaniki (Russian Gingerbread Cookies) Martha's Speculaas Cookies Australian Ginger Cookies Festive Bratseli Cookies Anise Pizzelle Biscochitos Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies Updated by Jennifer Anderson Jennifer Anderson Jennifer is a writer for decorvow.com.