Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 -10 minutes

Pebernødder are among the oldest Danish Christmas cookies, dating back to the 1400s. They are also found in neighboring countries, including Germany, where they are known as "Pfeffernussen," and the Netherlands. Pebernødder owe their name to their appearance, often compared to walnuts because of their size and shape, but also because they are made without any leavening, traditionally placed into a hot oven after the bread was baked, thus making them very hard, like nuts.

With their peppernut name, we might be tempted to associate them with black pepper, but these cookies are flavored with white pepper. Keep in mind that Denmark was an active trader in spices, including pepper from Trankebar in India, a colony founded by the Danish East India Company in 1620, which operated until 1845.

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the beaten egg and thoroughly incorporate.
4. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients: spices, baking soda and sifted flour.
5. Combine with the butter mixture.
6. Lightly flour a clean work surface as well as your hands.
7. Use your hands to knead the dough until it has a uniform consistency.
8. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll them into four long logs about 1.5 cm / 3/8-inch thick.
9. Cut the logs into small walnut sized pieces. Roll each one into a small peppernut ball – about ½ Tsp. in size.
10. Put the peppernuts on one or two baking sheets lined with parchment/baking paper and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden.
11. Let the peppernuts cool off before storing them in an airtight container or jar.