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Pfeffernusse German Spice Cookies

These traditional German Christmas cookies are made with such a tasty blend of spices including ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and white pepper and topped with a sweet glaze. They are sure to be a holiday favorite.
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Servings 40 cookies

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies

  • 1/4 cup dark molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk cold
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg cold
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

For the Cookies

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the molasses, honey, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, white pepper, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Let cool for about 15 minutes until warm to the touch.
  • In a large bowl, combine the milk, baking soda, and egg and add the warm molasses mixture.Add the flour and stir until mostly absorbed then use your hands to knead until all flour is incorporated.
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other.
  • Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are just starting to brown.

For the Glaze

  • In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water.
  • Once the cookies are done, pull the pan out of the oven and brush the hot cookies with the glaze, covering as much of the tops and sides as possible.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until the glaze is dry to the touch. Then, move them to a rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze if you are not planning on serving them soon.