Pfeffernuesse

also known as "Hammer Cookies" (see story below)

Recipe from:   This is Grandma Irene's recipe for Pfeffernuesse (pepper-nuts) cookies.  Over Thanksgiving of 2008,  Uncle Carl and Uncle Erv commented that they had not had Pfeffernuesse since mom passed away.  In searching, found her recipe (in her handwriting), which is attached.  When biting into one of the cookies, it brought back a flood of memories for all of us.

This recipe is different from most of the Pfeffernuesse recipes in that it does not use any margerine.  Found a soft Pfeffernuesse recipe as well; if you want that one, yell.  The cookies become harder over time.  Mom used to make the cookies around Thanksgiving or in early December, put them in a covered tin, and let them rest or age until Christmas time, resulting in a very hard cookie.  While the recipe calls for walnut-size balls, mom used to make them smaller so that a cookie could be popped into the mouth whole, sucking it like hard candy until it became soft enough to chew.  One year she rolled the dough in wax paper, chilled it, and then sliced the cookies.  The large cookies became so hard that they needed to be broken with a hammer before eating, earning the nick-name "hammer cookies" by some of her nephews.

Ed remembers popping them into your mouth and then sipping warm coffee. The cookie would literally melt in your mouth and flavor the coffee too.

Enjoy baking yourself a memory.

Ingredients & Directions

Sift together

• 4 &1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp each of Cloves (ground)  and Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 2 tsp anise seed

Combine:

• 4 eggs slightly beaten
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1. Add to above dry ingredients and mix well. Chill dough
2. Shape dough into walnut (or SMALLER!) sized balls.
3. Place on grease cookie sheet.
4. Cover with towel, and let stand at room temperature overnight.
5. Bake at 350º for 20-25 min.

Shake warm cookies in powdered sugar.

When cold, store in a tightly covered jar.