There’s something truly cozy and very nostalgic about pebernødder (translates to pepper nuts), a kind of spice cookies that we eat throughout the holiday season in Denmark. In Denmark, pebernødder is usually something you’ll bake with your kids, as they’re easy to make, and rolling the dough into small balls is fun. Though pebernødder aren’t just for kids. In fact, the seasoning gives them a very grown-up flavor, and they pair exceptionally well with gløgg (Danish mulled wine).
And now while you’re at it, why not bake an extra batch and fill a nice mason jar with homemade pebernødder. They’ll make an excellent host/hostess gift for any of the holiday gatherings.
Recipe: Pebernødder – Danish Christmas Cookies
100-120
piecesThere’s something truly cozy and very nostalgic about pebernødder (translates to pepper nuts), a kind of spice cookies that we eat throughout the holiday season in Denmark. In Denmark, pebernødder is usually something you’ll bake with your kids, as they’re easy to make, and rolling the dough into small balls is fun. Though pebernødder aren’t just for kids. In fact, the seasoning gives them a very grown-up flavor, and they pair exceptionally well with gløgg (Danish mulled wine).
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Ingredients
1 ¾ sticks (200g) butter
1 cup (200g) sugar
0.4 cup (1 dl) heavy cream
3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
- Start by creaming the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined.
- Next, add the cream to the mixture and blend everything together until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and baking powder.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, kneading the dough by hand until it becomes smooth and pliable.
- Preheat your oven to 390ºF (200ºC) if you’re using a convection oven, or to 420ºF (215ºC) for a regular oven.
- Shape the dough into small balls, roughly about 0.5inch (1.5 cm) in diameter, and arrange them on a baking sheet. You should end up with around 100-125 pebernødder, enough to fill two baking sheets.
For more uniformity, you can roll the dough into long ropes and slice them into smaller pieces.
Personally, I like to wing it and eyeball the size, which gives my pebernødder a charmingly rustic and varied look. - Bake the pebernødder for 8-10 minutes, just until they turn a light golden color. Keep a close eye on them to prevent over-baking.
- Let the pebernødder cool off completely before you pop them into a cookie tin for storage. Enjoy with your favorite holiday beverage!
Here’s a short version of the video:
