These vegan Pfeffernüsse Cookies are a soft, dense, and spicy German treat. Perfect with a big mug of coffee!
Ingredients
2 cups flour (I use half all-purpose, half whole wheat pastry)
½ cup almond meal (finely ground almonds)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons water
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon molasses
¼ cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground anise
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon clove
½ teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon sea salt
powdered sugar
Instructions
Combine the flour, almond meal, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, brown sugar, molasses, and coconut oil. Stir and bring the mixture just to a simmer so that the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add the ground flax seed, cinnamon, anise, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, orange zest, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well to combine.
When this mixture is fully cooled, pour it all into the flour and almond mixture and stir with a large spoon to fully incorporate. The dough may appear sticky at first but it will absorb the excess moisture. When your cookie dough has completely come together, seal it in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour.
After one hour remove from the fridge. Preheat oven to 350°F. The dough should feel more dense now. Pinch off small, uniform pieces of dough and roll between your hands into a ball. You want them to be about 1 inch or so in diameter. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Turn one over to check doneness--if the bottom is golden browned, it's done. Remove from oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool them completely then toss them around in a bowl of powdered sugar to finish them. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
-This recipe makes between 35-40 cookies.
Recipe by Lands & Flavors at https://www.landsandflavors.com/pfeffernusse-cookies/