Danish PebernØdder Cookies

http://klappekage.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/pebernodder-madness/

So today I decided to make pebernødder (pronounced [something like] pey-wa-nudler), as the second half of the “double feature.” I have to admit, I usually have a bit of an obsession with them, especially when sitting and writing exam papers so I’m super excited that it’s Christmas and they’re all over the stores. They’re an awesome snack while studying and I usually just eat the whole bag when I have them sitting next to my computer. Before today, I’ve always bought them and was surprised to find that they’re actually quite easy to make and, furthermore, you can make a ton of them for quite cheap!

The recipe I used for pebernødder is as follows (with the English in parentheses):

Ingredienser:

250 g. smør (250 grams of butter)
250 g. sukker (250 grams of sugar)
2 æg (2 eggs)
2 tsk natron (2 teaspoons of baking soda)
1 tsk ingefær (1 teaspoon of ginger)
1.5 tsk kanel (1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon)
2 knsp hvid peber (2 pinches of [white] pepper)
500 g. hvedemel (500 grams of flour)

1) The first step is to mix the sugar and the butter together. An awesome thing about it being so cold and snowy is that it’s super easy to get really soft butter by setting it for a few minutes on the heater. That way, mixing it with the sugar was really easy. Blend together until the sugar and butter are completely mixed.

2) Once you’ve mixed the sugar and butter, it’s time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing the egg in with the sugar and butter mixture well.

3)After you’ve mixed the eggs in, add the flour and other spice ingredients in a separate bowl. Though the directions call for certain amounts, how you do this here (except for the baking soda) really just goes with your taste. If you really like ginger, add a bit more. If you like a peppery taste, add a few more shakes of pepper. The recipe calls for white pepper – I used black but not too much of it as I’m not too crazy about the pepper flavor if it’s too strong, but again – it’s up to you!

4) After mixing the spices with the flour, add that mixture in with the egg and sugar.

5) Once you’ve mixed all the flour mixture in, take the dough and roll it out into finger sized or so logs.

6) After you’ve rolled them out, cut them into small pieces. The recipe calls that you cut them in 1/2 – 2 cm pieces, and I think it works great when you cut them into varying sizes.

7) After you’ve cut them out, place them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 10-15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

8) After around 10-15 minutes, take the pebernødder out and let them cool.

9) Once they’ve cooled, place them in a bowl and enjoy this Danish Christmas snack!