Richard. Made the pfeffernusse, finally. I like them more today than yesterday, and less than...

M

Marg CDN

Well-known member
well you know the rest.

They really do get better with age don't they? I think that recipe makes a quarter million, so they'll be jumpin with flavour by the time we get near the bottom.

I also enjoyed the scent of all those spices in the grinder.

Richard’s Pfeffernüsse

2 pounds lard or butter

2 pounds brown sugar

4 cups white sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons cassia buds

2 tablespoons ground cardamom

2 tablespoons ground anise seed

2 tablespoons orange peel

2 cups chopped almonds

2 t. baking soda stirred into 1 T. warm water

3 cups strong, black coffee, cold

1 tablespoon salt

5 pounds flour

for dusting, powdered sugar

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 375F degrees for 10-15 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar when cool. The flavour gets better with age. Age for several weeks packed in tins.

 
It's just such a grand Christmas scent isn't it?

I'm going to be cranking out doughs tonight. Here's my method: I start with the lightest sugar cookie dough, wrap it for the fridge, then move to the next without cleaning the bowl, and proceed to this cookie where it doesn't matter what was in the bowl when I started, it's still going to taste like Pfeffernüsse. Then, I take out a dough, shape/slice/roll/cut/etc then bake 1-2 at my leisure on nights when I'm at home. Only have to really trash the kitchen one time for cookie baking.

It wouldn't be happening otherwise. LOL

 
And another time saving tip/info about cookie dough

There have been questions about how long cookie dough will keep wrapped in the fridge. My method above has worked for every cookie I've tried it on. As long as the dough is wrapped air-tight, it will keep for quite a while.

Last year, I had a dough that I just never got around to making (Austrian Spitzbuben which required rolling, cutting, filling, sandwiching together, etc. I had just run out of steam) so I tossed the wrapped dough in the freezer and forgot about it until I found it when I was cleaning out my freezers after Hurricane Ike roared through Cincy. I thought, hmmm, why not, and I made the cookies and they were delicious.

So save yourself some time, make your doughs weeks in advance and put them in the fridge/freezer to shape and bake later.

 
Honestly, I did freeze half of it. Had JUST enough room in the freezer. Glad you

support this method.

That scent reminded me of Phoenix at Christmas when we all just started getting into that particular aroma. I loved it. Later it became varied, and love it not so much now. I always thought it was a combination of spices but H and I agreed that there was a strong memory in this combo. Is it the cassia perhaps?

 
That's exactly how I do it; great method! And freeze or refrigerate all the doughs for another day.

 
Yup, I get every ingredient out of the pantry...

spread it all over the counter within arms reach, plop myself on a stool, and don't even have to move while I just keep making a huge mess that I only have to clean up one time. I used to wear myself out doing them one at a time, then baking, then cleaning, then mixing... This went of for days of agony. Ugh. Not any more.

 
We do the same, even down to the order of bowl usage. I also get all my measuring spoons out and

spread them out so I can see their sizes easily.

 
Don't you just love this season for that ...and only that.? When the recipe says that we

have to cool the mixture before proceeding; that takes about 2 minutes out the back door.

 
I used to have this lovely 30' ft. screened porch off the kitchen...

that I used for holiday overflow. It was a dream, we'd just cover all the pans, platters, etc. after holiday dinners and place them out their, protected from the local wildlife. It got turned into a year-round solarium which is one of my favorite rooms in the house now, so I won't complain too much, although I miss the convenience! I now use the garage for cooling.

 
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