Pfeffernusse – German Gingerbread Cookies
Pfeffernüsse or German Gingerbread-style Cookies are all part of the tradition of celebrating Christmas. Best of all you can make them into more traditional festive shapes using cookie cutters. Poke a hole in each using a drinking straw, bake, thread a piece of string through the hole and you have instant edible Christmas tree decorations! These are vegan, nut- and gluten-free, as well as processed sugar-free. Makes about 16 cookies
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Servings: 12
- 60 g butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 1/3 cup rice malt syrup
- 1 tbsp Chinese five spice mix
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1.5 tbsp boiling hot water
- 250 gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp bicarb soda
- 1 tsp raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
To make the Pfeffernusse:
Place butter or coconut oil, rapadura sugar, rice malt syrup and five spice mix into a small saucepan.
Heat, stirring, over low heat until the spread is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, mix together ground flaxseed and boiling water until the mixture resembles egg consistency. Set aside to cool.
Once all liquids are cooled to room temperature:
Place gluten-free flour into a large bowl. Sift in bicarb soda and cacao powder.
Whisk flaxseed mixture into the cooled butter or coconut oil and sugar mixture.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together with a spoon until dough forms. It may seem a little sticky but that's ok.
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced, 350F, gas mark 4). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Shape about 1 tablespoon of the dough into balls and flatten gently. Or roll flatten small batches of dough to about 1/4 inch onto a sheet of baking paper and cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Remove scraps and repeat.
Bake on the middle shelf in a preheated oven for about 11 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.