Pfeffernüsse (Spiced German Cookies -American Version)

Origin: German - but these are not truly German. These are missing a few ingredients, but the idea of these cookies come from Germany.

Beautifully spiced cookies with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. Each once is sweet and spicy and complements a large cup of coffee or cup of tea.

Prep:

After your cookies have been in the fridge for 30 minutes preheat your oven to 350 F.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

1 cup sugar 2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

- Step 1 - Mix Butter and Sugar

In a large bowl cream together the 1 cup of unsalted butter that is at room temperature and the 1 cup of sugar.

- Step 2 - Add Eggs Add the 2 eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture.

- Step 3 - Add the Vanilla and Lemon

Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, mix, and then set aside.

- Step 4 - Powders in Another Bowl

In a separate medium bowl mix 3 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cloves, 1 teaspoon of ginger and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

- Step 5 - Gradually Add the Powder to the Butter and Sugar Mixture

Add the powder to the butter and sugar mixture a third at a time.

The reason you do this is so you don't make a mess.

Work the dough with your hands to make a large dough ball that is no longer a crumble.

- Step 6 - Place the Dough in Plastic Wrap and Refrigerate for 1 Hour

Once the dough is no longer a crumble place it into a large piece of cling wrap and press down to make a large disk.

You do this to make it cool faster and evenly.

Wrap the dough up tight and place in the fridge for an hour.

If the dough needs to be in the fridge longer either let the dough sit on the counter for some time or you can start to roll it out, it will just some time and a little arm strength.

- Step 7 - Sprinkle Flour on your Counter and Roll out Dough

Once the dough has cooled sprinkle some flour onto the counter and start to roll out half your dough.

You want it to be about a 1/8 inch thick.

- Step 8 - Cut Out Some Cookies

Once you get the desired thickness of your dough, go ahead and start to cut some shapes into the cookies.

I made circles and ovals because why not?

- Step 9 - Push Almonds as Decorations Into the Cookies

Once you have cut out your cookies place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and press almonds into the tops of them.

Press down because the almonds will fall off after baking, but just lightly.

I used diced almonds, but you can use whatever almonds you want to, just not whole ones.

- Step 10 - Bake

Bake the cookies for about 9-11 minutes. Till they start to become lighter and also start browning on the bottom.

- Step 11 - Cool

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few seconds and then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

I found this recipe on "Taste of Home" and followed the spices pretty closely because these spices are easy to go overboard with, but I added ginger instead of coriander because I love the zing ginger adds.