Peppernuts—The
Story Behind the Story, My Ladies Literary League program focused on a behind the scenes look at my story about peppernuts that appeared in the winter 2017 issue of
KANSAS! Magazine.
During the research phase I collected lots of tidbits and trivia that definitely added to
my knowledge base and helped me in the story writing but could not included per
se. Here are just a few of my favorites that I shared with the group:
- Peppernuts are considered Christmas treats! But, expand your thinking as even the early bakers often made them year round. Lighter varieties served with lemonade were a summer time treat!
- Original European recipes varied by country of origin (Pimpernüsse or Pfeffernüsse - Germany / Pepernoten - Holland / Pebernødder - Denmark; also made in Latvia and the Ukraine) and by available ingredients.
- Full of spices, it has been suggested they should be called spice nuts rather than peppernuts. So how did the name come about? One source suggested: Pepper —in earlier times the word pepper was a generic term for spices; the German word pfeffer means spice. Some older peppernut recipes even include small amounts of pepper while others contain peppermint. Nuts—most peppernuts are identified by their somewhat hard, nut-like texture and some actually contain finely chopped nuts. They are often eaten in quantity, the same way nuts are grabbed by the handful.
- Although small peppernuts seem to be valued the most, I found recipes that specified from ¼” or less to half dollar size. Molds for pressing dough into small, round disks were used in Germany at one time.
Since I was also the hostess, I prepared a variety of peppernut recipes trying to showcase variations in ingredients, color,
overall appearance, texture and taste.
From the left:
- Gumdrop Peppernuts — A chewy spicy variety made by the Wedels at The Main Street Café in Durham at Christmastime. This particular recipe is from Peppernuts Plain and Fancy by Norma Jost Voth.
- Clint’s Favorite Black Walnut Peppernuts — Diana Jost of Burdick, likes to mix up a batch of black walnut peppernuts. They were her husband Clint’s favorite and the recipe is included in “Peppernuts, Plain and Fancy.” Written in 1978 by Clint’s first cousin Norma Jost Voth, the cookbook also chronicles the role those little nuggets played in families and communities from Russia to Kansas.
- Jennifer’s Spicy & Nutty Peppernuts — This traditional and "fancy" peppernut recipe is from Jennifer Kassaubaum, Burdick. It c contains a plethora of spices along with ground nuts and yields a light, crispy cookie.
- Molasses Peppernuts — Cindy Wedel, Abilene, provided this recipe that relies on molasses and brown sugar as the sweeting agent and a triage of basic spices: cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. These crisp, crunchy nuggets are the type of peppernuts she grew up eating in her hometown of Durham.
- Danish Peppernut (Pebernødder ) — These Danish Christmas peppernuts start off as walnut-sized balls; they flatten out as they bake and then are sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Voth’s Quick and Easy Peppernuts — This recipe from Norma Jost Voth, is just one of many that appears in several books she wrote about foods and folkways of the Russian Mennonites that immigrated to the U.S. and Canada. She was born and raised in Hillsboro and at age 94 is as excited about peppernuts as she was back when she was doing extensive research for her books. Although she has collected a wealth of peppernut recipes, this is one of her favorites. Not only is it quick and easy, the dough can be shaped and baked immediately, without chilling overnight. “It’s the one I made when I went on book tours,” she mentioned during a phone interview.
A closer look at the treats -- above & below 
Other items also intermingled on the dessert buffet include:
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