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Dorie's Pfefferneusse Cookies
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground white (traditional) or black pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/4 tsp Colman’s dry mustard (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 c sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 6 T butter, cut into chunks and at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c finely chopped pecans
- powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Whisk the flour, all the spices, the baking powder and the baking soda together. Put the sugar and zest into a food processor and pulse several times. Add the butter and process until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, blending for about 1 minute after each one goes in. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the processor with a flexible spatula, then add the dry ingredients all at once and pulse a few times or until the flour is just barely incorporated. Stir in the chopped nuts.
Scoop up rounded teaspoonfuls and use your hands to make about 1″-sized balls of dough. Place the balls 1 1/2″ apart on the baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cookies are cracked, light beige on top and golden brown on the bottom. Transfer the cookies to racks. If you’re going to dust the cookies with powdered sugar, allow them to rest for 10 minutes, then place parchment paper under the racks and dust them.
Store the fully-cooled cookies in a covered container at room temperature. They will easily keep a week or more – or freeze them (preferably dusting them with the powdered sugar after you’ve defrosted them).