Brr!
Random thoughts:
First things first. I'm almost to 100 posts. To be precise, this is 92. So soon I will be at 100, which I have to admit is kind of cool. To me, anyway. Unfortunately, I always miss these things at the moment. And later they don't seem as special. So I'm celebrating now.
It is entirely too cold. Am I too young to have aches related to weather? Yesterday I limped around the house because my bad knee hurt. It does again today. I can only imagine what Wednesday, with its forecasted high of 18, will be like. Thus, I have decided that, when the high is below 20 degrees, we should all cancel work and stay home. How about? Wednesday needs to = pj day.
On Saturday I made peanut butter bars, sugar cookies, and peppernuts. We had a party (not just because of the food) with our small group from church. Holy Smokes, it was fun! :)
And now, the point, which I did now know was the point until I had typed the entire post.
Although both my parents are Mennonite (which is not a synonym for Amish, if you're unsure), and come from long lines of Mennonites, the food traditions definitely differ. For instance, Grandma Lu makes things like Swedish tea ring, bohne berrogi, and Karevei. Grandma Donna makes zwieback. My mom learned how to bake zwieback when she married dad. And if you were at our wedding, you know that she makes some of the best.
Both Grandmas make peppernuts. The same kind, actually. Oh, don't be naive; there are many kinds of peppernuts. But this is, hands-down, the best. Seriously. It's a fact, not an opinion. (Yep, I teach those. So I would know ;). I also know that Grandma Donna did not always make this variety. My aunt Ellen's roommate taught her about these, then Grandma started making them.)
Schrag Peppernuts (Pfeffernuesse)
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. karo syrup
3 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cloves
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. anise
Cream margarine, sugar, and egg. Add spices and mix. Stir in flour. Roll into ropes and freeze. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
-I never bake them for that long. Maybe it's my cookie sheets. But it's more like 5-6 minutes for me, and they are done.
-I never put in that much flour. It's hard to roll them into ropes if they're too flaky. I'm not very patient.
First things first. I'm almost to 100 posts. To be precise, this is 92. So soon I will be at 100, which I have to admit is kind of cool. To me, anyway. Unfortunately, I always miss these things at the moment. And later they don't seem as special. So I'm celebrating now.
It is entirely too cold. Am I too young to have aches related to weather? Yesterday I limped around the house because my bad knee hurt. It does again today. I can only imagine what Wednesday, with its forecasted high of 18, will be like. Thus, I have decided that, when the high is below 20 degrees, we should all cancel work and stay home. How about? Wednesday needs to = pj day.
On Saturday I made peanut butter bars, sugar cookies, and peppernuts. We had a party (not just because of the food) with our small group from church. Holy Smokes, it was fun! :)
And now, the point, which I did now know was the point until I had typed the entire post.
I have long known that I come from two long lines of good cooks/bakers. I'm determined that such things are genetic. Now, I don't think that I'm a particularly good cook - recipes are pretty easy to follow, and I've still managed to have some major screw-ups. Someday, mom, I'll figure out that baked steak thing. Despite my mishaps in the kitchen, I did happen to inherit the half of that gene that determines baking prowess. (It did come from both sides of the family, after all.) I always forget, though, how good some things are. Like peppernuts.
Although both my parents are Mennonite (which is not a synonym for Amish, if you're unsure), and come from long lines of Mennonites, the food traditions definitely differ. For instance, Grandma Lu makes things like Swedish tea ring, bohne berrogi, and Karevei. Grandma Donna makes zwieback. My mom learned how to bake zwieback when she married dad. And if you were at our wedding, you know that she makes some of the best.
Both Grandmas make peppernuts. The same kind, actually. Oh, don't be naive; there are many kinds of peppernuts. But this is, hands-down, the best. Seriously. It's a fact, not an opinion. (Yep, I teach those. So I would know ;). I also know that Grandma Donna did not always make this variety. My aunt Ellen's roommate taught her about these, then Grandma started making them.)
Schrag Peppernuts (Pfeffernuesse)
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. karo syrup
3 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cloves
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. anise
Cream margarine, sugar, and egg. Add spices and mix. Stir in flour. Roll into ropes and freeze. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
-I never bake them for that long. Maybe it's my cookie sheets. But it's more like 5-6 minutes for me, and they are done.
-I never put in that much flour. It's hard to roll them into ropes if they're too flaky. I'm not very patient.
It took me a while to decide whether or not to post the recipe. Some people may have no use for me after this post... Part of me knows that these peppernuts are the reason I'm allowed in the Kohlman family. They may deny it, but in any case, I have about three batches worth of dough in my freezer ready for the oven and Kohlman Christmas in a couple weeks. I think I need to go eat some more now - to empty the bowl for future batches, of course.
You may have just performed a major, major rescue. I'll have to explain in a less public forum. You ARE an angel!!!
ReplyDeleteAre your peppernuts the more crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth, cookie-like type or the rock-hard, overwhelmingly anise-flavored, to-be-eaten-with-hot-beverage type?
ReplyDeleteMy family recipe is the second, and I don't like it. The Voran-Goertzen peppernuts that are sold around Newton are my favorites. If yours are the more cookie-like type, I may just try the recipe.
I am not going to deny that peppernuts is one of the reasons we let you in the family; but it is only one of many. I have told you before that Brad married up (I should know I did too); can't wait for Kohlman Christmas so I can eat my share of your baked goods (and of course see you and Brad).
ReplyDeleteYour post motivated me to make peppernuts last Sunday and I'm making more today. When I was a freshman at Bethel, my roomate, Linda Schrag, introduced me to this crispy type of peppernuts. Growing up, we always had the rock-hard kind Allison's post described. So I gave "Linda Schrag's mother's peppernuts" recipe to Mom and she made the switch from the Regier recipe (Mother's White Peppernuts, put in the "Susie" cookbook by Aunt Frankie) to this one (also in the "Susie" cookbook). It's almost the same as the recipe you posted, but it also has a 1/2 tsp. pepper--I always thought that's why they're called peppernuts. Thanks for the baking inspiration!
ReplyDelete