German Recipes to try at home

Pfeffernuesse, a much sought-after item at Deutschesfest, has as many spelling variations as there are ingredient lists. Translated pepper nuts, Germany has three types depending on the location. Northern Germany style are softer and glaze or powdered sugar coated. Southern Germany cookies are a hard variety but often include nuts and/or minced candied citrus peel.

The cookie is believed to have originated in Germany in the 1850's. It soon became popular in Denmark, the United Kingdom. Some German versions and most of the Danish recipes do include ground black or white pepper.

Germans From Russia who settled the Odessa area made the hard, unfrosted variety. Most likely because these were often included in travel packs, or rations for field workers. They would last for months if needed. Immigrants carried a supply for this reason, and it was believed the anise flavoring helped settle stomachs at sea.

Baking ammonia is the traditional leavening used in making pfeffernuesse and produces the dense texture and the candy-like finish. For many years baking ammonia, also known as hartshorn, was only available through a pharmacist, so modern recipes used baking powder and baking soda. This works fine for softer varieties but for traditional, hard, long lasting, you want to use baking ammonia. Nowadays it is readily available online and many kitchen shops.

The official recipe for Deutschesfest Pfefferneusse was originally instituted by the Readers Club. It includes anise seed as well as cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. A single recipe makes 2 gallons of bite size cookies. Gather a friend or two to help with the baking, someone to roll and cut, and someone to bake and cool.

Deutschesfest Pfeffernuesse

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 cups dark Karo syrup

5 Tbsp chopped anise seed

12-13 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking ammonia

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

In an 8 cup or larger stand mixer, combine sugar, butter, and shortening and beat until smooth. Add cream, Karo syrup and anise seed, beat until smooth.

Combine baking ammonia with 2 cups of the flour and the spices. Then add to mixture in mixer bowl. Stir until flour is incorporated. Continue adding flour a cup at a time until a very stiff dough forms. Cover dough and chill overnight.

To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper.

On a very lightly floured surface, roll handfuls of dough into long ropes about the thickness of your little finger. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut ropes into 1/2-inch piece and place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake cookies 5 to 9 minutes. Watch the first batches carefully to determine best baking time. Cookies are small and every oven bakes different. You want the cookies firm and nicely browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers. Do not freeze. Flavors develop fully over 30 days. Yield: 2 gallons of bite size cookies.

December 23rd is National Pfefferneusse Day. Plan a family pfeffernuesse baking day over the Thanksgiving holiday and your cookies will be at full flavor to celebrate the day, and to enjoy throughout the Christmas season.

Laura Estes, who writes a bimonthly recipe column for the Lincoln County Record-Times, contributed these recipe for Pfeffernuesse.