This delightfully German cookie is soft, slightly cakey, and has a snappy spice due to the addition of Pfeffer, the German word for pepper. Whether you frost them or powder them, these delightful pods of goodness scream CHRISTMAS but you can eat them any time of year. There are many ways to make these. Traditionally they can be finicky if you do it with the "boil" method. I've got recipes for both but have opted to use Mama's basic, Americanized version (Mama was always pro-America!)
I prefer to glaze mine the way Mama did. They look quite festive with a light sprinkling of cake glitter (what she called it).
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp each: baking soda, cloves, nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 3/4 tsp each cinnamon and cardamom
- 1 stick of butter (room temperature, unsalted)
- 3/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup un-sulfured molasses
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- Whisk together all the flour, baking soda and spices.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar
- Add the egg and cream well
- Add in the vanilla and molasses and cream well.
- BY HAND stir in the dry to the wet until you see no more white (if you prefer to use your mixer, use a low speed as this is a very thick dough).
- Scoop into small (1.5") balls and bake on parchment at 350 for about 15 minutes on the middle rack.
THE GLAZE
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (more if it needs to be thickener) sifted before using
- 1/3 cup milk of choice (regular milk will make it a whiter glaze; almond makes it slightly off-white and well, chocolate milk makes a brown glaze lol)
- 1/4 tsp extract of choice (I use either Anise or Almond, depending on how strong of a flavor I want)
The glaze is very simple but I suggest you just dip the balls 3/4 of the way rather than totally dip them. Drain off the excess by holding at the undipped part and place on waxed paper or parchment. I use a small fan on low to help in the drying process. I also put a sprinkle of sparkle on top before they dry.