Pebernødder

August 20, 2022

Pebernødder in a jar © kvalimad.dk

Pebernødder is a classic recipe with roots in the Middle Ages, made with typical medieval spices. When a recipe has survived that long, it’s not by accident. These are simple but good cookies that taste of Christmas. This is not a recipe I came up with — I got it from Jeanette, who got it from her grandmother, and now you have it too :-)

Ingredients

Yields 200 cookies

the wet

250 g butter
250 g cane sugar
1½ dl heavy cream
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (or ½ tsp dried)

the dry

500 g flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground white pepper
1½ tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Directions

Mix the wet ingredients together.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Knead the dry and wet together into a firm, even dough.

Divide into 8 equal pieces by cutting in half, then in half again, and so on.

Roll each piece into a long thin log, about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Cut into pieces ¼–½ inch (½–1 cm) long. They should be smaller than you think.

Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Give each piece a light press so they are all the same thickness — this helps them bake evenly.

Bake at 390°F (200°C) convection for 8–12 minutes, until they just start to get a golden edge.

Notes

The dough is quite stiff and easiest to knead with a stand mixer.

If you make a half batch, you can put everything in a food processor and mix it that way.

This is a great way to find out how evenly your oven bakes — you can tell immediately from the color. Rotate the pan during baking if needed, or just move the cookies around with a palette knife.