Peppernuts - pfeffernüssen
Photography by Nick Tresidder.
INGREDIENTS
100 grams butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons well flavoured honey
1 egg
2 1⁄2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Brandy glaze
1⁄2 cup icing sugar, sifted
2-3 teaspoons brandy or lemon juice
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper or teflon sheets.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the honey and egg with a spoonful of the flour until well mixed.
Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cloves, pepper and nutmeg together and gently mix into the butter mixture.
Tip onto a large piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Wrap well and chill until firm.
To cook: Pinch off tablespoons of dough and roll into large marble- sized balls. Place on the baking sheets about 2 cm apart and refrigerate until firm. Do not flatten the biscuits.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden, rotating the tray halfway through for even browning. The biscuits will crack on top and look like little loaves of sourdough bread. Transfer the biscuits to a rack and cool completely.
Glaze: Combine the icing sugar and brandy to make a thick, smooth glaze.
To finish: Holding each biscuit upside down with your finger tips, dip the tops in the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Place back on the cooling rack to set. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 36
Cook's note: Peppernuts are traditional Central European Christmas cookies. 'Pfeffer' means 'pepper' and the word 'Pfefferlander' refers to countries of the East, from which many of the spices used in the recipe - cinnamon, cardamon and cloves - originated. There are numerous versions, some of which also contain nuts.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
Issue #115
Issue 115 is packed with inspiration for all kinds of cosy meals – whether you’re dining alone, as two or with a few. We start with our Plating Game interview with Jesse Mulligan which inspired a medley of curries and sides then move on to a round up of easy one-pan chicken dishes, a variety of pasta bakes and meatballs, and using one simple yet delicious tart base we whip up five fab filling options. Sarah’s wintry faves include a moreish chorizo (not) carbonara, lamb and spinach filo pie and we finish off with sweet treats and decadent puds. We love seeing what you create, don’t forget to share your dish dishes with our Facebook community. When it comes to winter cooking, make it SIMPLY YUM!