german spice cookies

An easy recipe for Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies) that are sweetened with brown sugar and molasses and a nice balance of spices plus a bonus of anise.

Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies)

butter, softened (2 ounces)

dark brown sugar (157 grams)

molasses (170 grams)

baking soda

water

all purpose flour (360 grams)

salt

whole anise seeds

cloves

black pepper

cardamom

nutmeg

sugar

½ teaspoon anise seeds, crushed

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter...

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water then add it to the mixture and beat well.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt,...

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, anise seeds, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Add the flour mixture to the batter and...

Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened then mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Make certain to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate the ingredients thoroughly. The dough will be very thick and stiff (see notes).  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Scoop large rounded...

Preheat the oven to 350°. Scoop large rounded tablespoons of dough then roll them into balls. Place them on a greased cookie sheet 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until puffed and cracked. Allow cookies to cool completely for 1 to 2 hours.

While the cookies are baking, make the sugar...

While the cookies are baking, make the sugar coating. In a medium saucepan combine the granulated sugar, water, and crushed anise seeds. Bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely.

Place the powdered sugar in a separate dish...

Place the powdered sugar in a separate dish such as a pie plate. Dip the cooled cookies into the syrup and scoop them out with a fork, allowing the excess syrup to drip off then roll them in the powdered sugar. Set them aside on a sheet of wax paper for 10 to 15 minutes while the powdered sugar soaks in, then dip them one more time into the powdered sugar to give them a final white coating.

Spekulatius Kekse are cozy, aromatic shortcrust-style cookies made with a fragrant spice mix. These traditional holiday cookies are very easy to make at home.

German Spice Cookies | Spekulatius

AP flour

tsp spekulatius spice mix (see notes)

baking powder

ml milk

g butter

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix. Add the soft butter and milk and mix into a uniform dough.

Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 395˚F (200˚C).

Working in batches, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 3 mm thickness.

With a spekulatius roller, embossed rolling pin, or regular cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. Transfer them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the cookies for 8 mins. or until just about golden-brown.

Let them cool completely and transfer them to an airtight container or cookie tin.

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Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies)

German Spice Cookies | Spekulatius

Top 2 german spice cookies recipes from across the web

The most viewed german spice cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pfeffernusse (German Spice Cookies)

German Spice Cookies | Spekulatius

The most viewed german spice cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine