Pepper cookies, also known as pfeffernusse or pfefferkuchen, are a traditional German Christmas cookie that is enjoyed by people of all ages. These cookies, while having the word "pepper" in their name, do not contain any chili peppers or other spicy peppers. Instead, they get their name from the mixture of spices that is used in the dough, which typically includes black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Pepper cookies are often shaped into small balls or crescents and then rolled in powdered sugar before being baked. The result is a crispy, chewy cookie with a sweet and slightly spicy flavor. Pepper cookies are a popular treat during the holiday season, and can also be enjoyed year-round.
Here are our top 16 tried and tested recipes!
BLACK PEPPER COOKIES
Cookies with black pepper.
Provided by Mary Adams Hogan
Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Beat eggs with brown sugar. Stir in flour with baking soda, salt, spices and pepper. Add nuts, raisins and citron and stir to coat. Pour the egg-sugar mixture into flour mixture and stir to make a stiff dough. Chill.
- Using rounded teaspoonful of dough roll into balls with floured hands. Put on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.4 calories, Carbohydrate 21.6 g, Cholesterol 11.6 mg, Fat 2 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 0.3 g, Sodium 47.2 mg, Sugar 14.9 g
PEPPER COOKIES I
Spicy rolled cookies. Frost with your favorite vanilla icing.
Provided by Tara
Categories Desserts Cookies Spice Cookie Recipes
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Combine the flour, almonds, baking soda, spices and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg, beat in the corn syrup. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
- Cover and chill for 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly colored. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 93.7 calories, Carbohydrate 11.9 g, Cholesterol 3.9 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 52.1 mg, Sugar 4.2 g
CRUNCHY PEANUT PEPPER COOKIES
I love Hot Mix, the ubiquitous (in South Asian cupboards at least) spicy and salty snack made with a mix of peanuts, raisins, and crunchy noodles. On a recent trip to Kalustyan's, the New York spice and specialty food haven, I noticed that Hot Mix is only one of the dozens of spicy snack mixes they carry. There was a whole wall dedicated to the stuff, which is significant when you think of the cost of Manhattan real estate. It got me thinking. How can I put that flavor into a cookie? So I came up with these. If you like a classic peanut butter cookie, you'll love this upgraded version. The extra salt and cayenne cover the whole spectrum of cravings. The recipe uses natural peanut butter without added sugar--it has a more delicious, purer peanut flavor. My favorites are Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter and Cream-Nut. Be sure to stir the jar well to distribute the oil evenly before you scoop it into the measuring cup.
Provided by Samantha Seneviratne
Categories dessert
Time 45m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking soda. In a large bowl, stir the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Stir in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the peanuts.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared sheets at least 2 inches apart. Using a fork dipped in sugar, gently press a crisscross pattern in the top of each cookie, flattening it out to a 2-inch circle.
- Bake until the cookies are light brown around the edges and on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheets on racks, then move them to the racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
WHITE PEPPER CHERRY COOKIES
Provided by Valerie Bertinelli
Categories dessert
Time 3h25m
Yield 3 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the cherries.
- Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and scoop the dough on top. Using the plastic as an aide, form the dough into an even log, about 2 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the dough, place it on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Lay the rounds on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Dust very lightly with white pepper.
- Bake the cookies until just golden on the bottom and edges, about 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a rack and cool completely. Repeat with any remaining cookies, cooling the baking sheets between batches.
PFEFFERNUSSE (GERMAN PEPPER NUT COOKIES )
This is from Williams Sonoma and it has been a family favorite for years. It is a great twist on Gingerbread cookies.
Provided by Zookeenee
Categories Dessert
Time 59m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, pepper, aniseeds, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a large bowl, using an electic mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar and molasses until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
- Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Butter 2 baking sheets, scoop up pieces of dough and roll between your palms into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Place the balls on the cookie sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and firm to the touch, about 14 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool slightly on the sheets.
- Place the confectioners' sugar in a sturdy paper bag, drop a few cookies into the bag, close the top securely, and shake gently to coat the warm cookies with the sugar.
- Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
PEPPER-CUMIN COOKIES
These cookies combine the banality of white sugar with the intensity of black pepper, the tartness of lemon zest and the pungency of cumin. When served with fruit - fresh, roasted or stewed - they will emphasize the fruit's natural sugariness. But when accompanied by a strong cheese like Roquefort or Stilton, the cookies turn indisputably sweet. Alone, they're a delightful combination of savory-sweet-spicy, reminiscent of a rosemary shortbread.
Provided by Molly O'Neill
Categories cookies and bars, crackers and chips, dessert
Time 25m
Yield 30 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, cracked peppercorns and cumin in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until mixture just forms a dough.
- Place the dough on a work surface and shape into 1-inch balls. Place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the tray and place them on a rack to cool.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 95, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 44 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CHOCOLATE-BLACK PEPPER COOKIES
These crunchy cookies get a flavorful kick from black pepper and cinnamon.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about 4 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside.
- Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
- Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Roll log in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from parchment paper. Let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Roll log in sanding sugar, gently pressing down to adhere sugar to dough. Transfer log to a cutting board, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each round with freshly ground pepper.
- Bake cookies until there is slight resistance when you lightly touch centers, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.
CHILI PEPPER COOKIES
Cut out to look like their namesake, these cookies were sweet treats at the celebration. We used a favorite recipe that makes a tender, slightly soft sugar cookies. By tinting the frosting and adding some colored sugar sprinkles, these can be decorated with out a lot of fuss. They really say "fiesta".-Terri Newton, Marshall, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield about 4 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a small bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll and pat out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. chili pepper shaped cookies cutter. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a small bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Tint 1/3 cup green; set aside. Tint remaining frosting red. Frost "peppers" red and "stems" green; sprinkle with matching sugar.
Nutrition Facts :
ICELANDIC PEPPER COOKIES
Make and share this Icelandic Pepper Cookies recipe from Food.com.
Provided by ElizabethKnicely
Categories Dessert
Time 35m
Yield 3 dozen cookies, 36 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in corn syrup and eggs; cream well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pepper. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix until smooth. Refrigerate dough over night.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place at least 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven.
GRANDMA ANNA'S ITALIAN PEPPER COOKIES
Spicy and sweet old-school Italian Christmas cookie recipe, like my grandma used to make. No electric mixer needed.
Provided by DaniDee
Categories Italian Cookies
Time 1h10m
Yield 60
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves for cookies together into a large bowl.
- Place shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until melted. Pour into dry ingredients and mix with a spoon.
- Add milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla; mix with a spoon to combine. Add raisins, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped walnuts and mix with your hands to combine. Roll dough into small balls and set 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare glaze while cookies cool. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Add milk, orange juice, and orange zest and mix until smooth.
- Brush glaze onto cooled cookies or spread with a spoon. Decorate with sprinkles.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 114.4 calories, Carbohydrate 17.6 g, Cholesterol 0.4 mg, Fat 4.6 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 13 mg, Sugar 10.3 g
PEPPER COOKIES II
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine the shortening, egg, water and vanilla. Stir in the sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix to combine. Shape the dough into walnut sized balls. Bake on a ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. When cool frost with confectioners' sugar or dip into melted white morsels.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 135.8 calories, Carbohydrate 21.5 g, Cholesterol 7.8 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 2.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 82.8 mg, Sugar 8.5 g
DANISH PEPPERNUT CHRISTMAS COOKIES (PEBERNODDER)
These are deliciously tiny, somewhat time consuming to make (but totally worth it), eaten-by-the-handful Danish shortbread cookies. This recipe was given to me by a local grandmother at the annual Scandinavian Festival in Junction City, Oregon. Stored in an airtight container, they'll last close to two weeks.
Provided by Milk Teeth
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 30m
Yield 200
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two to three baking sheets.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until well blended. Mix in the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough gathers together. With floured hands, pinch off small, 1/2 teaspoon amounts of dough, roll into tiny balls, and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven until bottom of cookies are light tan, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool 15 minutes on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 19.1 calories, Carbohydrate 2.3 g, Cholesterol 4.3 mg, Fat 1 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 0.3 g, SaturatedFat 0.6 g, Sodium 18.9 mg, Sugar 1 g
BLACK PEPPER BUTTER COOKIES
These are my absolute favorite cookies. A friend in college had received a huge tin of homemade cookies from her mother and a version of these cookies were inside, along with many other types of cookies. I had never heard of black pepper cookies before and loved the unique flavor-sweet & buttery, with a slight kick from the pepper. I searched for years to find the recipe and finally found it in a Watkins spices cookbook several years ago. I make these every year for the holidays and everyone always wants to know the secret of my "vanilla flecked" butter cookies. Update: Eggs sizes seem to be shrinking, so depending upon the size of the eggs in your area, you may need to use an XL egg rather than a large. Regarding the pepper: fresh ground will produce huge grains of pepper and make things far too peppery and savory tasting. Please use finely ground pre-ground black pepper in this recipe, carefully measured using a measuring spoon and leveled off.
Provided by HeatherFeather
Categories Dessert
Time 26m
Yield 48 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients (except for the extra sugar for dipping the glass) together well using a heavy duty mixer.
- Roll into 1/2 inch size balls-you will need three large ungreased cookie sheets, 16 balls per sheet.
- Use the flat base of a drinking glass that has been dipped into sugar to flatten each dough ball on the cookie sheets.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F (or 180 C) oven for 8-11 minutes or until lighly browned on the edges- do not overbake.
- Remove to wire racks to cool.
BLACK PEPPER COOKIES
The not-so-secret ingredient here is 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, which adds a little kick to sweet sugar cookies. Serve these Black Pepper Cookies with our Zabaglione.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about 2 1/2 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in center. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Beat in egg whites until incorporated. Combine flour and pepper in a small bowl; add to butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined.
- Put dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco #804). Pipe 3-inch strips about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping tip close to sheet for thin cookies. Bake until edges are golden and centers are set, about 7 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes before transferring with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
PEPPER NUTS - COOKIES (PEBERNOEDDER)
To the reviewer that mentioned that these should not be rolled in nuts - step 7 refers to the cookies being rolled into the shape of a nut and not in nuts. Update - I have adjusted the flour down to 2 cups. This recipe makes a bunch of small little cookies that kids in Denmark use to play games during the month of December. I remember playing 'MOUSE'. You need a bunch of Pepper Nuts and some kids. All the Pepper Nuts are placed on a table and one of the kids is sent outside the room. The other kids now choose the Pepper Nut that is IT (or the MOUSE). The kid is called back into the room and has to start eating the Pepper Nuts until he/she reaches the one that is the MOUSE. All the kids then yell MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!! usually to great scare for the poor kid that is IT. I remember eating one after the other thinking 'oh no, this one will make them scream...' Besides being a fun game they also taste good.... This is also a recipe where even little kids can be good helpers when cutting the cookies
Provided by Deantini
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 176 'nuts', 176 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add egg and orange peel.
- Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and stir into batter, do not overmix.
- Gather the dough until smooth and divide into 8 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a long thin roll 1/2 inch in diameter.
- Cut the roll into small pieces - approx 22 pieces per roll.
- Roll into small nuts (if you are lazy or short of time you can skip this step, although rolling make for a nicer looking cookie).
- Place the 'nuts' on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 minute.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 12.5, Fat 0.6, SaturatedFat 0.3, Cholesterol 2.4, Sodium 7.1, Carbohydrate 1.7, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 0.6, Protein 0.2
WHITE PEPPER COOKIES
A friend of mine has a mother in law from Sweden. I ask her to give me the recipe for her wonderful cookies.Post for World Tour 2006.
Provided by katia
Categories Dessert
Time 1h20m
Yield 36 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- With an electric mixer beat the sugar with the butter.
- Then add one egg, a cup of flour,one egg,one cup of flour, the spices and at last the rest of the flour.
- Make a soft dough into a ball, put in a plastic bag, cover and place into the fridge for 24 hours.
- Next day use 1/2 teaspoon of dough for each cookie.
- Place on cooking sheets and bake at 320°F for 11-15 minutes in a preheated oven.
- Chilling time is not included.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 123.7, Fat 4.2, SaturatedFat 2.5, Cholesterol 21.9, Sodium 111, Carbohydrate 19.7, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 8.9, Protein 1.8
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor.
- Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Don't overmix the dough, as this will make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure that the cookies are all the same size and shape.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set, as overbaking will make them dry and crumbly.
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Conclusion:
Pepper cookies are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for any occasion. With their combination of sweet and spicy flavors, these cookies are sure to please everyone. Whether you're looking for a simple snack or a special dessert, pepper cookies are a great choice. So next time you're in the mood for something sweet and a little bit different, give pepper cookies a try!
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