Pfeffernuesse Cookies
Old-family Pfeffernuesse cookies with warm spices, coffee or wine, and aging tips for best flavor.
Pfeffernuesse means pepper nuts. My husband and I became responsible for making these cookies for the family when we offered a batch made with fresh spices from The Spice House. My great-grandmother's recipe originally called for 10 cents worth of cassia, cardamom, anise seed and orange peel. Family tradition equates that to 2 tablespoons. Tradition also calls for these to be kept in a cloth sack and hidden while they age. My great uncle went looking for them one year and set the closet on fire with his candle.
Submitted by: Stephanie from Corunna, Indiana
Yield: 1 Pillow Case Full
- Cream lard and sugars, add warm spices and nuts, then combine flour alternating with cold strong coffee and a baking soda mixture.
- Roll the stiff dough into small nut-sized balls, bake at 375°F for 10–15 minutes, dust in powdered sugar when cool.
- Store in a cloth sack or pillowcase and let the cookies age for weeks. Flavor improves over time; half coffee and half sweet white wine boosts taste.
Preparation Instructions:
Cream lard and sugars. Mix in spices and nuts. Combine flour with salt and add, alternating with coffee and soda water.
Dough will be stiff, almost clay like. Roll into small balls the size of nuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar when cool. Let age.
thespicehouse.com
More About This Recipe
Using half coffee and half sweet white wine really adds to the flavor. The flavor gets better with age. Tradition has us making these the day after Thanksgiving so they are ready for Christmas. We store them in a pillow case and hide them, so they will last until the Christmas Season. This recipe originally called for cassia buds, but due to sourcing difficulties we suggest substituting our Vietnamese cassia cinnamon instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Pfeffernuesse cookies?
Pfeffernuesse are small, spice-forward cookies whose name means pepper nuts. They are rich with warm spices like cinnamon, clove, allspice, cardamom and anise, often made ahead and aged so the flavors deepen.
How do I make the dough?
Cream the lard with both sugars, then mix in the spices and chopped nuts. Combine flour and salt, and add it to the creamed mix while alternating with cold strong black coffee and a baking soda solution. The dough will be very stiff, almost clay like.
What size should the cookies be and how long do I bake them?
Roll the dough into small balls about the size of nuts. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes until set. Let them cool, then roll in powdered sugar.
How should I store and age Pfeffernuesse?
Let the cookies cool fully, then store them in a cloth sack or pillowcase in a cool, dry place. Aging for weeks improves flavor. Keep them away from open flames or candles while hidden or stored.
Can I substitute ingredients like lard, cassia or nuts?
Yes. Lard gives a traditional texture, but you can use butter or vegetable shortening with a slight change in texture and flavor. The recipe suggests Vietnamese Saigon cassia in place of hard-to-find cassia buds. Black walnuts are traditional here, but regular walnuts or pecans also work. Orange peel is optional.
Should I use coffee or wine in the dough?
Both work. The recipe uses strong black coffee, but swapping half the coffee for a sweet white wine adds depth and a nice flavor twist. Either liquid should be cold when added.
Can I make these ahead or freeze them?
Yes. These cookies are meant to be made ahead and will improve with age. You can also freeze baked, fully cooled cookies in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before serving and refresh the powdered sugar if needed.
What are Pfeffernuesse cookies?
Pfeffernuesse are small, spice-forward cookies whose name means pepper nuts. They are rich with warm spices like cinnamon, clove, allspice, cardamom and anise, often made ahead and aged so the flavors deepen.
How do I make the dough?
Cream the lard with both sugars, then mix in the spices and chopped nuts. Combine flour and salt, and add it to the creamed mix while alternating with cold strong black coffee and a baking soda solution. The dough will be very stiff, almost clay like.
What size should the cookies be and how long do I bake them?
Roll the dough into small balls about the size of nuts. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes until set. Let them cool, then roll in powdered sugar.
How should I store and age Pfeffernuesse?
Let the cookies cool fully, then store them in a cloth sack or pillowcase in a cool, dry place. Aging for weeks improves flavor. Keep them away from open flames or candles while hidden or stored.
Can I substitute ingredients like lard, cassia or nuts?
Yes. Lard gives a traditional texture, but you can use butter or vegetable shortening with a slight change in texture and flavor. The recipe suggests Vietnamese Saigon cassia in place of hard-to-find cassia buds. Black walnuts are traditional here, but regular walnuts or pecans also work. Orange peel is optional.
Should I use coffee or wine in the dough?
Both work. The recipe uses strong black coffee, but swapping half the coffee for a sweet white wine adds depth and a nice flavor twist. Either liquid should be cold when added.
Can I make these ahead or freeze them?
Yes. These cookies are meant to be made ahead and will improve with age. You can also freeze baked, fully cooled cookies in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before serving and refresh the powdered sugar if needed.
My handful holds a teaspoon of salt. Hands are the perfect mixing tool for the amount and consistency of this dough, so my Gram would pour the salt into her hand and mix it in with the flour. Eileen, I tried it with the cassia bud and it was amazing! Thanks!!!
My family’s recipe is rather different. Our recipe has only coffee, liquid anise, and I use pumpkin pie spice: we use honey and no lard; and a glaze frosting. It takes 3 days to make them as we leave the cookies out overnight to dry, then frost and leave them out overnight again to dry. My Oma makes them small round 1inch balls with frosting coating, mine are larger, baked less and chewy, just the way I love them..
My mother’s recipe is a lot like this one except we had no nuts or coffee/wine. She rolled these very thin and used Christmas cutters. Thery were very dark and the one I am using for an Oktoberfest are not. Is it because of the coffee. A smaller recipe has only a 1/2lb of butter with equal amounts of lard, and 1 pint of white corn syrup. Would the dark be the difference in the color. Now that I found cassia I definitely will try to make them. Thry sound amazing!
Looks like an amazing recipe, however are the cassia buds ground or left whole?
Love it. I purchased all the spices I needed from this site.
The cookies are in closet in pillow case and the aroma is fantastic. Of course, I did sneak a few out the other day to try, yummy!!
Judith Ann
I’m surprized that no one has reviewed this cookie. I made this cookie a few years ago and look forward to making them every Christmass. I would recommend this spicy treat to everyone. Please give the cassia bud a try, it adds that little something that the cinnamon alone can’t produce. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm delish. Eileen Frye