The Pebernødder are small spiced cookies.
They are called pfeffernüsse (plural, singular is Pfeffernuss) in German, pepernoten (sing. pepernoot) in Dutch, päpanät in Plautdietsch (Low Prussian dialect), pfeffernusse or peppernuts in English and peppernøtter in Norwegian, pepparnötter in Swedish and pebernødder in Danish.
Although the recipes vary, all contain spices, most commonly cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, white pepper, mace, and anise.
The dough is based on spices, butter, sugar, cream, hjortetaksalt (leavening agent replaceable with baking powder or baking soda) and flour.
Popular as a festive treat among ethnic Germans and Mennonites in North America as well.
The name literally means “pepper nuts”, and it does not mean they contain nuts, but because they are about the size of nuts and can be eaten by the handful.
Medieval ones were quite different, made with rye flour, honey, and a much stronger concentration of herbs. They were hard, as the name suggests, like nuts.
They are also named for the pinch of pepper added to the dough before baking.
Pebernødder are part of the traditional Christmas cookie triad: Brunkager, Pebernødder and Vaniljekranse.
These are often served together and form the backbone of Christmas cookies in Denmark.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 25 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Danish
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup cream
- to taste ground ginger
- to taste ground cinnamon
- to taste cardamom
- 2 cups flour
- 1 hjortetaksalt (or baking powder)
- 2 pinches white pepper
Steps
Mix the butter with the sugar, add the cream, spices, hjortetaksalt or baking powder, and flour.
Form balls about 2 cm (3/4 inch) in size, sprinkle with white pepper and bake in the oven at 375°F for 17 minutes.
FAQ
What are the other variants of Pebernødder?
The Netherlands give the name Kruidnoten to the small, brown, round cookies, while pepernoten refers to a chewy snack that is lighter in color and has a chunky, angular appearance. Although they are noticeably different, some Dutch residents mistakenly call kruidnoten pepernoten and even online shops list them in this category.
Both are exclusive festive snacks and are available at any store selling food during the Sinterklaas period.
Meanwhile, the recipe for kruidnoten has become a subject of experimentation and has greatly expanded over the years.
Besides the regular variant and packages that include gummy and sugar candies, kruidnoten can be covered with a layer of chocolate (white/milk/dark/truffle) – which is one of the earliest and most loved variants – but also strawberry, caramel, coconut, coffee, bubblegum, cake (any), etc.
Pebernødder are often confused with kruidnoten. Although they are both famous festive cookies, the kruidnoten are harder, have a darker brown color, and a different shape.
Their ingredients are more similar to those used in speculaas.
In northern Germany, they are called Pfeffernüsse and are a hemispherical sweet with a diameter of up to two centimeters and a firm texture.
The northern variant of Moppen is larger and softer, based on a gingerbread-like dough and has a glaze.
In southern Germany, the dough is prepared with candied lemon or orange peel, orange zest, lemon zest, and often almonds as well.
In Saxony, they are about three centimeters, uncoated, and angular.
There are some recipes passed down by families of German Mennonite origin that call for peppermint extract instead of traditional spices, creating a slight mint flavor. These are baked until soft and coated in powdered sugar.
Even American Russian tea cakes are often confused with Pebernødder, especially when dusted with powdered sugar.What is hjortetaksalt?
Also called deer salt, it is a baking additive that gives them crispness and is thus used in cookies, brownies, cookies, etc.
Its chemical name is ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) and has the E-number E-503.
