About a year ago I organized a virtual cookie swap where we exchanged holiday cookie recipes – what a fun way to gather several tried-and-true favorites!
While I didn’t spearhead an online swap this year, my friend Kristine and I again co-hosted an exchange for some of our friends this past week:
- eight woman
- about 48 dozen cookies
- a yummy cranberry/lemon fancy coffee cake
- fresh fruit
- coffee, tea, etc.
- and a bonus … mimosas!
.I must have formed the cookies a bit larger than called for, my yield was only about 7 dozen. But, those 84 cookies were good! They’re a “mature” cookie – moist and full of flavor (not gingery, and not overly spicy, simply flavorful). While the kids gravitate to the chocolate and butter cookies (as do I, of course); it’s nice to temper all that super sweetness with something a bit more hearty (and they go well with coffee). Will I make them again? You betcha!
And you can make them, too; here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 Tbl unsalted butter
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (really!)
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup candied orange peel (in the baking aisle)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Prep 'mise en place'!
- Heat butter in small skillet over medium-low heat until melted and bubbling. Add spices and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Transfer to large bowl and whisk in molasses and brown sugar; set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Combine flour, almonds, orange peel, baking soda, and salt in food processor and process until finely ground, about 1 minute.
- Add egg to cooled butter mixture and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture, and stir minimally to incorporate.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
- Pre-heat oven to 350', with racks on upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
- Roll dough into ten 1/2-inch logs. Cut logs into 1-inch pieces and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment (I'm now a firm believer in parchment; and have also discovered the big difference between baking sheets and jellyroll pans).
- Bake until just set and edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes (switch and rotate sheets at the 5-minute mark).
- Cool 5 minutes, then slide parchment onto wire rack to cool completely.
- Toss cooled, baked cookies with confectioner's sugar in a zip-top bag (makes quick work of this last step!)
Each year my neighbor Sue hosts a holiday cookie swap for folks in the neighborhood; the party’s next week … time to thumb through the magazine for another holiday cookie recipe!
Head over to Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking, where other bloggers have linked up their food-related posts: recipes, cookbook reviews, kitchen tips and tricks … “if it’s vaguely foodie, it’s fair game!”
Ah, well, the minute you said “mature” cookie, I knew it couldn’t be right for me! Guess I’ll stick with the old peanut butter kiss cookies! :–)
I like a cookie that’s not too sweet, so those are probably for me. I made chocolate cloud cookies for the swap I went to.
These are EXACTLY the type of cookie I love. I love spice, I love to bake with black pepper. You may have the peanut butter chocolate cookies — pass the plate of Pfeffernuesse to me, please.
These must be like the ones we used to buy in Germany when we lived there. Some of them were iced and decorated with sprinkles. I really must have a go.
Cookies are the baked good of choice for my family (with me, I think muffins/scones are number one), so every year at Christmas I make at least eight varieties, including three musts that are old family recipes. Last year, when my daughter went off to college was the first year since she was born that I didn’t do that…and boy did I hear about it, lol. This year, we’re back on track…
These cookies look really good to me — I’m not for the big, sweet, decadent stuff either. Only problem is, I think I would have to eat the entire recipe myself, because my daughter and husband are not much for spice.
Those look amazing, and anything coated in powdered sugar can’t be bad, you know! I am glad that you posted this recipe, as I am getting prepared to do some holiday baking with my daughter this week, and needed some new recipes to inspire me. This might be one of my choices! Great post today, Dawn!
they sound excellent…and you know I am an ATK fan!!
I’ve never heard of these, but boy they look good.
Here’s My Weekend Cooking
They are beautiful!
They’re gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Happy weekend, Dawn!
Love the look of them but every cookie recipe with more than 6 ingredients makes me run away. I haven’t had Pfeffernüsse in years. Now I want them. Must get some tomorrow at the Christmas market.
This would be a huge hit with the male members of my extended family… the females are notorious chocolate fiends
Oh my, those sound delicious! I love chocolate cookies, but I think I prefer cookies that combine lots of delicious spices. I’ll have to give these a try.
UGHH! This would be a bad thing to be part of. Way too much awesome in one room to deal with. Seriously, cookies….friends….good stuff.
Not sure I could bake a cookie that I can’t pronounce!
My grandma used to make these but I didn’t care for them (I was little at the time) but I think I’d like them now that I’m mature
This sounds very cool, but not really the type of cookie I would go for normally. Thanks for sharing…I hope you don’t have a bellyache from all those cookies.
Wow 84 cookies?! I would have no idea what to do with 84 cookies when we only are with a family of 2. I am always quite intimidated by those huge amounts of cookies in most American recipes
I am glad they tasted awesome!
I love Pfeffernuesse and these sound so good – nice and spicy.
Oh, my husband always wants me to make him Pfeffernuesse. Maybe this is the year I actually do it. I’ll leave out the candied orange peel, which is a big yuck to me. He won’t notice — he’ll just be so excited to have the cookie he never gets.
I love these cookies! I have a recipe from maybe fifteen years ago I got from a woman in an online group. Let’s see, how is it different – no cardamon; sugar instead of molasses; no allspice; no pepper; no candied peel; half cup melted butter. And cooked on ungreased sheets with no parchment. :<) Thanks for the reminder. I haven't made them in a few years.
You forgot to mention how they make good WWF fuel.
The ones I remember from my childhood were very small. Like size of a nickel, even. Grab a handful and throw in your mouth small; lose count small! Yours look huge.
Merry Christmas Cooking!
These “mature” cookies sound quite interesting. Not sure if they are for me, but they would be a nice break from chocolate chips
I’ve never tried this Christmas cookie. I admit I’d probably be more excited about the mimosas!