A December classic

Come December you’ll probably start seeing packages of pfeffernusse cookies in your grocery store. Pfeffernusse is a complex spicy gingerbread. The cookies are topped with powdered sugar or a hard glaze. Pfeffernusse is Germany’s “December spice,” abundant throughout the month and a Christmas favorite in the Netherlands.

Whether bringing a tray of pfeffernusse scones when visiting someone’s home during the month, having a few with family or friends, or serving them at holiday celebrations the cool licorice bite of anise (or peppermint) surprises the warm and spicy cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander, cardamom, ginger, star anise, mace, nutmeg, and white pepper. They will quickly become a conversation point and favorite year after year.

Step by step instructions

Make a batch of pfeffernusse spice:

Because of the number of ingredients, it’s better to make a batch of pfeffernusse spice blend. I make a batch of the spice blend right after Thanksgiving. The spice blend recipe is enough to make 6 pfeffernusse scone recipes. If you don’t use it all this year, it will keep till next year.

Blend the wet ingredients:

Blend the milk, anise extract, and egg together thoroughly using a milk frother or blender. Transfer the ingredients to a squeeze bottle and put it in your refrigerator to cool until you combine the wet and dry ingredients.

TIP: If you’re making a second batch to cook or freeze, blend the wet ingredients for both batches and place them in separate squeeze bottles.

Combine the dry ingredients:

Add all of the dry ingredients, flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pfeffernusse spice blend to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Slice the butter into chunks:

Slice the butter into chunks by cutting the length of a stick of butter you’re using in half along its long side, flip it on its side, and slice it again in half. Then cut the long side in half and each half into quarters. Mix the butter chunks into the dry ingredients.

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients:

Use a butter cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until they are about the size of peas.

TIP: Slightly larger chunks create a crunchier scone, leaving bigger gaps in the crumb when they melt.

Put the dry ingredients in your freezer for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

After 15 minutes, remove the bowl with the dry ingredients from the freezer and place it on a sticky pad. A sticky pad makes this step go faster by keeping the bowl still while stirring in the wet ingredients. You may have to rub the bottom of the bowl to remove any ice before putting it on the sticky pad.

Remove the squeeze bottle with the wet ingredients from the refrigerator. Slowly combine the wet and dry ingredients by squirting a thin line with the squeeze bottle and rapidly stirring it in with the tines of a large (serving) fork. This MUST BE DONE BY HAND. You don’t want to create a mix or dough. You want to wet the dry ingredients to keep them in pea-sized clusters.

When the dry ingredients start to look wet, use the tines to pull the moist ingredients to one side. This will expose the drier ingredients below. Use smaller squirts from the squeeze bottle onto the dry ingredients and stir faster with the tines. When no dry ingredients are left, stop adding liquid.

Form the dough:

Start to form the dough. Gently press it down and fold it a few times until it forms one log. Fold the log in half and move it to a silicone mat.

It’s easiest to form the dough using a 7” cake ring. Press the dough from the center outward until the dough fills the ring. Swirl the ring around the dough to give it a better edge. Then remove the ring.

If forming by hand, press the flat side of your long knife around the edge to firm it.

Cut the dough into eight scones:

Make four equal cuts with a long serrated knife to divide the dough into eight sections. Move the knife slightly back and forth on its flat side with each cut to make it easier to separate each scone.

Place the scones on your baking sheet:

Slide the flat side of the long knife under each scone and move it to the parchment paper on the baking sheet.

TIP: If you plan to store or serve the scones on a 10” cake round after they’re baked, make sure to place them on the parchment paper in the same order that you take them off of the dough circle. Otherwise, they will not form an even circle.

Bake:

Place your baking sheet on a middle rack in your preheated oven and bake for 14 to 16 minutes at 400°.

Halfway through, check to see if one side is cooking faster than the other and, if so, turn the pan around in the oven and continue to bake. Remove the scones to a cooling rack when the center of the scones feel solid, not liquidy.

TIP: If you plan to store or serve the scones on a 10” round after they’re baked, make sure to keep them in the same order that you took them off of the original dough circle. Otherwise, they will not form an even circle.

Glaze the scones:

Wait 15 minutes after taking the scones out of the oven to apply the glaze so that pieces of the scones don’t fall into the glaze as you dip them.

Put 2 cups of powdered sugar in an 8″ to 9″ bowl. It must create a deep enough glaze to and be wide enough to allow you to dip the top of scone in one step. There will be leftover glaze after you’re done. Place your scones next to the bowl and the anise or peppermint extract on the other side of the bow.

Boil 1-2 cups of water. Pour 3 tablespoons of the boiling water over the powdered sugar and stir it vigorously. Add the extract and continue to stir until it forms a smooth but thick glaze. Add more powdered sugar or hot water to get the desired consistency

One at a time, dip the top of the scone into the glaze, sweeping it a little from the back to the front of the scone. Hold it above the glaze for a few second to let any excess drip back into the bowl before flipping it over. Flip it right side up and place it back on the cooling rack.

Let the glaze dry to a hard crust before serving or storing them.