Powdered spice cookies, or Pfeffernusse as they are better known in German-speaking countries, are a recipe that dates back centuries. They have a crunchy exterior, with a soft and chewy center that is full of flavor from the assortment of spices used in the recipe.
These delicious little treats were traditionally eaten around Christmastime, though their popularity has grown to the point where they can now be found throughout the year.
Let’s take a quick look at how they are made.
🥘 Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- light brown sugar packed
- egg
- molasses
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground allspice
- ground ginger
- powdered sugar
🔪 How To Make Powdered Spice Cookies
Unlike most baked cookies, you are not going to preheat your oven first. These cookies require an hour of chill time, so we can skip the preheating and get started mixing.
If you have a stand mixer, I recommend using it. Otherwise, a handheld mixer or even a whisk and bowl will work. Start by creaming the butter, shortening, and brown sugar together. Add an egg and molasses and combine it all together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and spices.
Next, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until it is thoroughly combined.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. When the hour is up, go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 °F.
Now it is time to roll the dough into 24 1-inch balls. To simplify this process, I recommend using a cookie scoop. If not, you can “eyeball” it.
Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Now the good part – coating them in powdered sugar. You can use a ziplock bag or a large bowl with powdered sugar – whichever you prefer.
Simply place the cookies, a few at a time, in the powdered sugar and roll them around to get a good coating.
You can eat them at this point or seal them in an airtight container to enjoy later.
📖 Recipe
Powdered Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cream the butter, shortening, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and molasses and mix to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and spices. Stir to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer dough to the refrigerator and chill for one hour.
- When ready to bake, place top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat oven to 375°F.
- Remove dough from oven and form balls with a 1-inch scoop. Roll the dough in your hands to form a ball and set on baking sheet with an inch or
two inches between each cookie. - Place baking sheets in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are nicely browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cookies cool for several minutes.
- Working in batches, transfer cooled cookies to a Ziploc bag filled with powdered sugar. Seal tightly and gently turn until cookies are thoroughly
coated. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to
serve. Enjoy!
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