When I told my husband that I planned to make pfeffernuse (pronounced feffer-noose), he looked alarmed. I think he related the name to the famous German game meat stew hasenpfeffer and thought I was proposing he eat rabbit-meat cookies.
What the two recipes have in common is pfeffer, "pepper" (not rabbit, hasen). These are little spice cookies that do indeed include pepper along with cinnamon, cloves and candied citrus peel. This the traditional "peppernut" flavor combination, but you can use this recipe as a jumping-off point for several flavor variations which I'll include at the end of the recipe. I've made some of these variations before, and some are notes for things to try in the future. The original recipe is from Reader's Digest's "A Family Christmas".
They are the perfect make-ahead holiday cookie as they must be baked 2-3 weeks before eating. They come out of the oven hard but soften with storage. They are ideal if you want to make holiday cookies but don't want to be baking in the thick of December.
Today's I Screw Up So You Don't Have To...when you toss the cookies with confectioners sugar at the end, don't knock excess sugar off the cookies by throwing them on the floor. Or by letting a 3yo help you with that step.
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