Peppernut Cookies

Fall is in full swing. The leaves have changed color and the air is getting crisp. It’s firewood cutting season. It’s hunting season where I come from. And that means that it’s peppernut season at our home.

Though Peppernuts might be a Scandinavian favorite around Christmas time, fond memories of firewood getting and hunting trips have me craving these spiced bites of goodness as soon as the weather turns cold.

No hunting trip would be the same without a pile of peppernuts tucked away in your coat pocket as you trudge through the snowy mountains. Nor would a long, cold day of getting a load of firewood without a paper sack full of these to munch on for the drive home.

They are a family tradition. A delicious, packed with spicy flavor tradition that I hope my kids will cherish as much as I do.

My Kind of Traditional

Though I do have some strong Danish blood running through me, I am not sure how true this recipe is to a traditional Danish Peppernut. (Yet as I write that line, I am reminded that a “traditional” or “authentic” recipe in one house rarely looks identical to the “traditional / authentic” recipe in a different house. Sooo….)

This recipe has changed even in my line of sight. The recipe I have included in this post is my Mom’s recipe – the same recipe I remember making and eating as a little girl. My mom got her recipe from my paternal grandmother (my dad’s mom; her mother-in-law), but upon looking at my grandma’s recipe … there are slight differences in her original recipe and my Mom’s recipe.

And so it goes with truth and cooking… variable changes with each generation.  

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Whether this recipe qualifies as a true Nordic recipe for Peppernuts, or not, it is my kind of traditional. And I am happy to keep it and enjoy it year after year.

Fall’s Favorite Flavors

This Peppernut Cookie recipes includes all the cozy goodness of spicy flavor that a good fall recipe should have.

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger all come together to make this treat burst with peppery warmth.

The addition of anise also adds to the flavor. Though, I have to admit, I have never liked the flavor of anise and hence do not own any extract of the kind; I always skip the anise when I make these for my family, and the result is equally delicious. 

Though Mom never added them in hers, the added flavors of black pepper or cardamom as seen in other Peppernut recipes could only add to the depth of these little “nuts” in my opinion.

Big Batch

One thing I have learned from studying Grandma’s old recipes is that Grandma liked to make things in big batches. As the mom of 10 kids, I can’t be surprised that recipes for her breads call for 13-14 cups of flour – and this recipe is no different.

Grandma’s original recipe, and also my Mom’s, called for 3 cups molasses, 3 cups sugar, … and 14-16 cups of flour!

That makes for really a lot (and I mean a lot, a lot) of cookies. And unless I am storing some away in the freezer, I never make a “full” batch according to my Mom’s recipe. Instead, the recipe listed below is a half recipe from the original, and it makes plenty of cookies for our house.

Making and Baking Peppernuts

You will want to start out mixing your dough in much the same order you would any cookie recipe: adding your oils and sugars first.

In this case, we will add in our molasses, sugar, and butter (and anise oil if including). Once mixed, add the sour cream or milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and other seasonings. Then add the flour last.

Be careful not to overmix the dough. Mix ingredients together in mixing bowl until fully mixed, then stop.

If the dough is really sticky or soft, try placing it into the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. This will help to stiffen the dough so it is not a sticky mess.

For forming the cookies, you can do so one of two ways:

The first way is the way my grandma used to do it, and that is by “snaking” your dough and then cutting it into pieces.

Simply roll your dough out with your hands onto a lightly floured surface until it forms a snake-like string of dough. The dough should be about 1/2″ diameter. Then cut your string of dough into 1/2” to 1” pieces.

The second way to form your cookies is to roll the dough out flat, and then cut it into little squares with either a pizza cutter or a metal food scraper.

For rolling out the dough, I like to use my favorite homemade bread mat gently sprinkled with flour. This makes for an easy cleanup. But I’ve also rolled my dough on the very same pre-greased half-sheet I plan to bake it on.

Roll out the dough on whatever lightly floured surface you can find. You will want your dough to be between 1/4” to 1/2″ thick. Then cut into 1/2” to 1” squares.

Hard, Medium, or Soft

When cooking these Peppernuts, there are a few different end-result-textures we can have. Soft, Medium, and Hard.

This of course is determined by 1) how thick or thin your dough is, and 2) how long you bake your cookies for. (As well as your elevation, oven temperature variation, etc.)

For a soft, chewy bite, baking these cookies for 5-7 minutes is all you need.

If you are looking for a medium baked cookie with a bit of crunch, try baking these cookies for 10-12 minutes.

If you want a hard cookie, bake for 15-18 minutes.

Personally, I usually bake a pan full of each texture; hard, medium, and soft. My Mom is a dough lover, as are all my kinds, and they generally prefer the soft, chewy textured Peppernuts.

My husband is more of a medium person. Fully cooked, with a bit of crunch.

I love the hard cookie. Leaving the cookies in the oven long enough to get hard, but still not burnt, is – in my mind – the perfect peppernut. This is how I remember eating them as a kid. Hard as candy. Little peppery cookies that are perfect for keeping in your pocket and pulling out when your up on a mountain. Or just to pop in your mouth and suck on as you do things around the house.

However you like your cookie, I know you are going to love these fall-time favorites.

Common Questions:

Dough Sticky? Try putting the dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. If it is really doughy still, try adding more flour a teaspoon (note I said teaspoon) at a time.

Dough Dry?  If your dough it too dry, if it is crumbly and not coming together even after thoroughly mixing, try adding a little milk to your dough one Tablespoon at a time to help moisten it back up. I sometimes have to do this if I refrigerated the dough overnight; it will sometimes come out dryer that I like, pushing me to spoon in a little milk to help give the dough more moisture and elasticity in rolling out.

Do I need to flip the cookies in the oven? You can if you want, but remember these are cookies, not crackers. There really is no need to flip the cookies over mid-baking. Just let them cook through to your desired doneness.