Pfeffernüsse (Peppernuts/German Spice Cookies)

A German spice cookie traditionally eaten during Christmas holidays with variations from the Netherlands and Denmark. I found them to be mildly spiced compared to my gingerbread cookie recipe, but nonetheless, tasty and really addictive.

Ingredients
* 125g unsalted butter, softened
* 110g light or dark brown sugar
* 45g honey
* 45g molasses
* 1 large egg
* 350g plain flour
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground cloves
* 1/4 tsp crushed aniseed/fennel seeds
* 1/4 tsp ground allspice
* A pinch of salt
* 1 lemon, finely zested
* 1 orange, finely zested
* 40g finely chopped candied citrus rind or mixed peel
* 100g pure icing sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced) if making teaspoonful sized cookies, 180°C (160°C fan-forced) if making larger ones (I used a number 50 ice cream scoop). Line two large trays/baking sheets with baking paper.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the honey and molasses and beat until just combined, followed by the zests and citrus peel. Add the eggs and beat until emulsified.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt and spices. Spoon the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat on the lowest speed until just combined and a dough forms. Make sure your beaters have reached all areas of the bowl. If there is still some unmixed flour, just incorporate with a spatula to prevent over mixing.

Either roll heaped teaspoonfuls or use an ice cream scoop to portion dough. Place dough approximately 5 cm apart on the trays, depending on size. Bake for about 10-12 minutes for heaped teaspoonfuls, if you’ve made larger cookies, bake for about 20-25 minutes. I used a number 50 ice cream scoop and they took 25 minutes. Swap the trays halfway through baking or bake one tray at a time, which may be better to see how long they need and if the oven temperature is correct. If you’ve hand rolled they should start to crack and brown slightly. Scooped cookies will already have a crinkly top so remove when slightly browned. Ensure the cookies are cooked through but not overcooked as they could produce dry cookies. Once they’re cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the trays.

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add about 6-8 warm biscuits to the icing sugar and toss to coat generously. Tap off excess icing sugar and place on a wire rack to cool completely and repeat with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. You could also store in the fridge for longer but they may start to dry out.

Tips
*If you like a little more spice or certain spices more or less, then change the quantities to suit your taste. These are a mildly spiced cookie for me but still very enjoyable, and they got even better after a week.
*You could use all honey, all molasses or a mixture of both like I did.