Mary Moore’s Pfeffernusse Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred but unsifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed (see below)
1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed (or 3 or 4 drops anise oil)
1/2 cup almonds, blanched and ground
1/2 cup candied citron or candied orange peel, chopped
grated rind of 4 lemons
Note: If you are not familiar with cardamom it comes in pods which
you break open (like a peanut) and little black seeds fall out.
Crush these (and the anise seeds) by pounding gently with the rolling pin.
They are a characterstic flavor of Pfeffernusse.
Into beater bowl put ingredients in order given, starting beaters on “low”
as soon as butter and sugar are measured in and continuing beating until
all ingredients are added.
Use about one heaped-up measuring teaspoon for each cookie, placing them
2-inches apart on greased cookie sheet. They spread to about 2-inches in
diameter.
Bake at 350 degrees F about 9 minutes. Do not overbake.
Cool on cake racks and store in single layers, separated by sheets of
wax paper, in covered cookie tin. These will keep for weeks and weeks -
if hidden.
Source: Mary Moore cooking column Regina SK Leader-Post newspaper, Nov 22, 1972.