Tuesdays with Dorie (Dorie’s Cookies): Pfefferneusse

This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Dorie’s Cookies also happens to be this month’s Cookies and Kindness recipe! Some of you may remember that earlier this year, I introduced you to Dorie Greenspan’s latest project, #cookiesandkindness.

The aim: To make the world sweeter.
The method:  Bake/Share/Post

For this month’s instalment, Dorie has chosen a recipe that is

a cookie that’s been popular for Christmas in Europe for years (as in centuries) [that is] easy to make, long-lasting and full of flavor.  The name means ‘pepper nut’ and, in fact, there is black pepper and chopped pecans in the cookie.  But there’s also cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and a pinch of dry mustard, which acts as a picker-upper for all the other spices.  If you’ve never had pfefferneusse, you’re in for a treat.  If you’ve had pfefferneusse, you’re in for a surprise: these are classics with a touch of playfulness.

I’d actually never had pfefferneusse before so was intrigued to try them. Loved the idea of a peppery, spicy cookie and – bonus – there was the option of glazing these with chocolate…

These baked up really easily (I made a half-batch because, well, SO MUCH BAKING all the time at our house) and I used finely chopped almonds because I had just the perfect amount needing to be used up.

As you can see I had some holiday-sprinkles needing to be used up as well 😉

I really enjoyed these cookies – they were not too sweet (the chocolate was a nice touch on top, I thought), they made the house smell wonderful and they were easy to make. I’ll admit I didn’t taste much of the mustard in there (the “picker upper” of the other spices”) but I found the spice amount to be just right (too often with holiday cookies, the spice level is cloying). The texture of these is interesting too – I was worried they would be too hard but in fact they are a little soft and crumbly – the day you bake them they are still a little cakey in the centre which is nice.

I was happily surprised by these – wasn’t expecting to like them much but I really did. As for the “Cookies and Kindness” part of this post? I sent the entire batch (bar one!) to Neil’s work where there was a whole crew of people (including Neil) working a Sunday 2 weeks before Christmas. I thought they needed a treat!

Get the recipe for Dorie’s Pfefferneusse here or on page P 233-235 of Dorie’s Cookies.

What cookies will you bake to share? Take part in the #cookiesandkindness movement!

Get baking! Who will you treat this month? If you’d like stickers, tags and cards to dress up the cookies you’ll be sharing, get them here courtesy Dorie’s publisher.

We’d love to see what you’re baking up to share! Use the #cookiesandkindness and #Dories_Cookies hashtags and don’t forget to tag @doriegreenspan and @eatlivtravwrite (Twitter and Instagram). Bake on, people!

 

 

Want more cookie recipes? Order Dorie’s Cookies for yourself on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store in your country) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us over on Tuesdays with Dorie and bake your way through the book!

 

 

Please note: This post contains product links from Amazon and The Book Depository which are affiliate links, meaning if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you) which goes towards maintaining eat. live. travel. write. Thank you in advance!

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Dorie’s Cookies” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing do. All opinions 100% my own.