"sc" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
> gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
> like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
> dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried a
> couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits, which
> is not what I want.
>
> There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
> supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
> knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
>
> Here's a picture of some...
>
>
http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...118&path=1,118

Here are 2 recipes - I have not tried them.

Dimitri


PFEFFERNUSSE (GERMAN) PEPPERNUTS

# 1

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 c. almonds, blanched & ground
1/2 c. chopped candied lemon or orange peel

Beat eggs and sugar until frothy. Blend dry ingredients; stir in. Add
almonds and peel. Mix thoroughly with hands. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on
lightly floured board; cut in 1 inch rounds. Place on lightly greased
baking sheet; cover with towel or place in cupboard; leave overnight to dry.
(For a softer cookie, do not dry - bake immediately after cutting out.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees (moderate). Bake 20 minutes or until lightly
browned. Makes 12 dozen 1 inch rounds.


# 2


4 eggs
4 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 lb. citron
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 c. nuts

Beat eggs and sugar. Add dry ingredients, then citron. Drop on greased
cookie sheet (or roll into balls and place onto cookie sheet). Bake at 350
degrees for 8-10 minutes until light brown. Best when aged 4-6 weeks before
eaten. Variation: Sprinkle cookies with rum or brandy once a week while
aging. Can be served plain or rolled in powdered sugar.

sc > wrote in message >...
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
> gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
> like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
> dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried a
> couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits, which
> is not what I want.
>
> There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
> supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
> knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
>
> Here's a picture of some...
>
> http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...118&path=1,118

Your first step is to check the ingredient list on those cookies and
compare them to your recipes.

The chief culprit in Gingerbread's softness is Molasses. Honey would
give similar softness.

Other culprits are eggs and solid vegetable shortening.

Greg Zywicki

jacqui{JB} wrote:

> "sc" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>> Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>> gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind
>> like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little
>> dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've
>> couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits,
>> is not what I want.
>
> I know exactly the ones you mean, but have never come across a recipe
> for them ... probably because that's not what "true" pfeffernusse
> are like. I have to admit, your post sent me scurrying to my
> cookbooks out of sheer curiosity -- and what a variety of recipes! I
> don't envy you your task. What I'd suggest you do is find the recipe
> that's *spiced* the way you like it, then play with the mixture to
> achieve a pleasing texture (I know, I know -- we're quite cavalier
> here about saying "why don't *you* try it and let us know how it
> goes," and I know that it's a really annoying answer ). I'd
> suggest looking at the cookie as rather meringue-like -- the whipped
> egg white will give you the volume and, maybe (with the right
> proportion of egg yolks and flour), the right texture. It's going to
> take some fiddling to get right.
>
> And don't underestimate the power of "ripening" (a frustrating
> concept in our culture of instant-gratification). Most of the
> pfeffernusse recipes I have suggest a 2-3 week period where the
> cookies just sit in a sealed container and soften up a bit.
>
> So ... let us know how it goes, hm? It's an interesting question. -j
>
>

Yeah, the problem, though, is that I almost never cook this kind of
thing... or any kind of cake/biscuit/bread like recipes. Its completely
different from my kind of cooking!

So the 'play with it until you get it right' idea isnt going to work for
me, because I have no idea what will make it more or less like it (other
than intuition and some educated guess work!)

You said that it's not what 'true' pfeffernusse is like. Well, therein
lies the second problem. The only ones I've ever had are out of those
packets! So I was wondering, actually, whether these were the
traditional ones, or whether the dense-but-soft cookie like ones were
the traditional ones. About all I had to go on was the little blurb on
the back of the packets that harps on about how they use a traditional
recipe, and they're made in Germany etc!

Well, I'll see what happens!

Scott.

Greg Zywicki wrote:

> sc > wrote in message >...
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
>>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
>>dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried a
>>couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits, which
>>is not what I want.
>>
>>There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
>>supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
>>knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
>>
>>Here's a picture of some...
>>
>>http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...118&path=1,118
>
>
> Your first step is to check the ingredient list on those cookies and
> compare them to your recipes.
>
> The chief culprit in Gingerbread's softness is Molasses. Honey would
> give similar softness.
>
> Other culprits are eggs and solid vegetable shortening.
>
> Greg Zywicki

Yeah, but I dont really want them to be 'soft', per se. More of a 'white
bread roll' type texture, i.e. quite light. The 'cookie' type ones that
I made previously were soft, but completely the wrong texture!

sc > wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
>dense

I don't have a recipe but the ones Mum made were hard as rocks and you had to
suck them like candy for a while before you could chew them. I have looked for
years for a recipe or means to make the same way without success. They were a
central part of my Christmas when I was in grade school.

Dennis

sc > wrote in
:

> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
> gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
> like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
> dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried
> a couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits,
> which is not what I want.
>
> There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
> supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
> knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
>
> Here's a picture of some...
>
> http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...HMPFEF&cat=118
> &path=1,118

I bake pfeffernusse every year around Thanksgiving in order to serve them
at Christmas. They are *not* what you want.

I have bought the type you're talking about and, quite frankly, I think
apart from any thing else that they're stale and certainly not very good.

That said, however, if that's what you like then why not just buy them.

True pfeffernusse start out as very hard and very dense cookies which may
vary somewhat in flavor but not that much in texture. They need to be
stored for several weeks to allow them to "ripen" and "mellow", both in
texture and flavor. The result is still probably not what you're looking
for, but they do become much softer and the flavor more complex.

Wayne

"Wayne Boatwright" wrote
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
> > gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
> > like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
> > dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried
> > a couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits,
> > which is not what I want.
> >
> > There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
> > supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
> > knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
> >
> > Here's a picture of some...
> >
> > http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...HMPFEF&cat=118
> > &path=1,118
>
> I bake pfeffernusse every year around Thanksgiving in order to serve them
> at Christmas. They are *not* what you want.
>
> I have bought the type you're talking about and, quite frankly, I think
> apart from any thing else that they're stale and certainly not very good.
>
> That said, however, if that's what you like then why not just buy them.
>
> True pfeffernusse start out as very hard and very dense cookies which may
> vary somewhat in flavor but not that much in texture. They need to be
> stored for several weeks to allow them to "ripen" and "mellow", both in
> texture and flavor. The result is still probably not what you're looking
> for, but they do become much softer and the flavor more complex.
>
> Wayne
>

Ah, the infamous cookies in those big glass jars at the back of my mother's
corner cupboard.

Fresh, these things will break your teeth, your dentures, your jaw. One
can, however, dunk them in black coffee, good black coffee, to avoid
breakage.

My mother kept them up to at least 2 years in those glass jars at the back
of the cupboard. One does not keep them in the refrigerator and, definitely
not the freezer. She made huge batches to make sure those jars were always
aging.

You have to consider these as wine---they need to age. The longer they age,
the closer to the texture of which you speak. Personally, I like them at
about 1 year.

I am not joking or being ridiculous here. I'm telling you the absolute
truth. I rarely post on RFC these days, but I have references!!! AND, I
have the jars!!!

Pam

Just do a test with labeled pint jars, and you'll see.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> sc > wrote in
> :
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
>>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
>>dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried
>>a couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits,
>>which is not what I want.
>>
>>There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
>>supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
>>knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
>>
>>Here's a picture of some...
>>
>>http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...HMPFEF&cat=118
>>&path=1,118
>
>
> I bake pfeffernusse every year around Thanksgiving in order to serve them
> at Christmas. They are *not* what you want.
>
> I have bought the type you're talking about and, quite frankly, I think
> apart from any thing else that they're stale and certainly not very good.
>
> That said, however, if that's what you like then why not just buy them.
>
> True pfeffernusse start out as very hard and very dense cookies which may
> vary somewhat in flavor but not that much in texture. They need to be
> stored for several weeks to allow them to "ripen" and "mellow", both in
> texture and flavor. The result is still probably not what you're looking
> for, but they do become much softer and the flavor more complex.
>

Yup, that's what I said in the other post - I dont know what 'real'
pfeffernusse are supposed to look like, or what they taste like, or what
texture they should have... but those light ones are the ones I like!
Maybe they shouldnt be called pfeffernusse... I dont really mind what
they get called, I'd just like to know how to make them!

The 'why not just buy them' idea seems a little strange to me, since
this group is called rec.food.cooking. Why not just buy anything that
gets cooked.

Dennis G. wrote:

> sc > wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
>>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
>>dense
>
>
> I don't have a recipe but the ones Mum made were hard as rocks and you had to
> suck them like candy for a while before you could chew them. I have looked for
> years for a recipe or means to make the same way without success. They were a
> central part of my Christmas when I was in grade school.
>
> Dennis


I've made these before; they are just as you described:
http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/cooking.html

The recipe is near the bottom of the [very large but entertaining] web page.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob > wrote in
:

> Dennis G. wrote:
>
>> sc > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind
>>>of like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little
>>>more dense
>>
>>
>> I don't have a recipe but the ones Mum made were hard as rocks and
>> you had to suck them like candy for a while before you could chew
>> them. I have looked for years for a recipe or means to make the same
>> way without success. They were a central part of my Christmas when I
>> was in grade school.
>>
>> Dennis
>
>
> I've made these before; they are just as you described:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/cooking.html
>
> The recipe is near the bottom of the [very large but entertaining] web
> page.
>
> Best regards,
> Bob
>

Where are the spices? I've never seen a recipe or eaten a pfefferneuse
that wasn't loaded with spice. After all, the name does mean "pepper
nut". In spite of the honey, these seem dreadfully bland.

Wayne

zxcvbob wrote:
> Dennis G. wrote:
>
>> sc > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>> gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind
>>> of like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little
>>> more dense
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't have a recipe but the ones Mum made were hard as rocks and you
>> had to
>> suck them like candy for a while before you could chew them. I have
>> looked for
>> years for a recipe or means to make the same way without success. They
>> were a
>> central part of my Christmas when I was in grade school.
>>
>> Dennis
>
>
>
> I've made these before; they are just as you described:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/cooking.html
>
> The recipe is near the bottom of the [very large but entertaining] web
> page.
>

Hi!

Thanks for the recipe and link.

Hmm... is that them in the picture that you can click on? Do they have a
texture more like bread than biscuit or cookie? They look like the
cookie type ones.

Dennis G. wrote:
> sc > wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
>>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
>>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
>>dense
>
>
> I don't have a recipe but the ones Mum made were hard as rocks and you had to
> suck them like candy for a while before you could chew them. I have looked for
> years for a recipe or means to make the same way without success. They were a
> central part of my Christmas when I was in grade school.
>
> Dennis

Well, I know of plenty of recipes, but that's not the texture I'm
looking for!

Scott.

sc > wrote in message >...
> Greg Zywicki wrote:
>
> > sc > wrote in message >...
> >
> >>Hi,
> >>
> >>Does anyone know a recipe for pfeffernusse that has the texture of
> >>gingerbread? I dont know how to describe what I mean really... kind of
> >>like dry, semi-stale white bread dinner rolls, but just a little more
> >>dense. Wow, that sounds bad! Anyhow, that kind of texture. I've tried a
> >>couple of recipes, but they all come out like cookies or biscuits, which
> >>is not what I want.
> >>
> >>There are a couple of brands of pfeffernusse that you can get in the
> >>supermarkets that have the texture I'm talking about, so maybe someone
> >>knows the brands. Fritz is the only one I can think of at the moment.
> >>
> >>Here's a picture of some...
> >>
> >>http://www.centrafinefoods.com.au/pu...118&path=1,118
> >
> >
> > Your first step is to check the ingredient list on those cookies and
> > compare them to your recipes.
> >
> > The chief culprit in Gingerbread's softness is Molasses. Honey would
> > give similar softness.
> >
> > Other culprits are eggs and solid vegetable shortening.
> >
> > Greg Zywicki
>
> Yeah, but I dont really want them to be 'soft', per se. More of a 'white
> bread roll' type texture, i.e. quite light. The 'cookie' type ones that
> I made previously were soft, but completely the wrong texture!

If you want gingerbread texture, then you want to consider molasses.

Other than that, no idea.

Greg Zywicki