Traditional German Pfeffernüsse Cookies

Start by combining the molasses, honey, butter, and shortening in a saucepan over medium heat. I've found that using a blend of butter and shortening gives the cookies the perfect tender crumb.

Stir until the butter and shortening have melted and then leave the mixture to cool. This is crucial because adding hot syrup to eggs could result in scrambled eggs in your dough, and trust me, that’s not pleasant!

Once cooled enough, beat the two eggs into the mixture, followed by the brown sugar. Here, you want to make sure that the sugar is entirely dissolved in the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and your spices - the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and pepper. Now, the pepper might be an unusual ingredient, but it gives these cookies their signature 'pepper' kick.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring well after each addition, until a stiff dough forms.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. This will make the rolling process easier and will help the flavors infuse together.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about an inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. They don’t spread much so no need to worry about them sticking together.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are set. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lastly, dust the cookies generously with the confectioners' sugar. The sweeter the better is my motto here!