23 Days Holiday Cookies: Pfeffernusse

These are German cookies. I really love the Holiday cookies from Germany. Not so Sweet but a bit spicy.
I use a German flour base wafer ( German Back-Oblaten) on the bottom of the cookie.  They come in all sizes, I use the 3.5 inch ones.You do not have to have them. However I like to make them as Authentic as possible


Pfeffernuse

3/4 Cup Molasses
3/4 cup Black Forest Honey
3/4 Shortening
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon  Ground Allspice
1 teaspoon Mace
1/2 Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed
1 Large Egg, beaten

Combined Molasses and Honey in a saucepan,medium size.  cook on Low heat  stirring until heated, add the shortening. continue stirring until melted. remove from heat and cool to room temp.

Combine Dry ingredients; flour and Baking soda and next 5 spices  stir together well set aside

Now add the beaten egg to the room temp  Molasses mixture, and stir until blended.
 Pour into the flour mixture. stir just enough to blend it , let sit for 15 minutes.

shape into 1 in balls and put on a wafer disk ( if you a using them.
Place on the cookie sheet ( parchment lined ) or lightly greased. place 2inch apart.

Bake at 350°F 10 minutes. remove from cookie sheet and dip in sugar Glaze or Powdered sugar. cool on wired Rack. Store in cookie tin.

The Glaze:
Now to make the Glaze, allow the cookies to completely cool, I do the glaze the next day. 

1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp lemon extract and 1 and 3/4 Tablespoon and water.

put the sugar in small bowl,
measure the 1 tsp lemon extract out and put it into a Tablespoon measuring spoon, add water to fill up the Tablespoon.Pour into the sugar,  then add another Tablespoon of water.  stir with wire whisk until smooth.
Dip cookies into glaze til covered top and bottom, let sugar glaze dip off over bowl as much as possible, Put on a drying rack and continue til all cookies are coated.

I have to make one more batch of glaze to complete. It is best to make the glaze in two cause it dries fast.

Recipe copyright 2016 by "Auntie E Cookbook/EM Dubros"

Kitchen Aid Recipes. Lamb Patties

This recipes is a version of a Mediterranean style Ground Lamb Patties. These can be made in Meatballs, small sliders, or burgers. They are spicy, so if you wish to turn down the heat, add less seasonings. In other words reduce the amounts of seasoning to 1/2 of the recipes measurements. I like it spicy therefore , they are just right for me.

Mediterranean Lamb Patties.

1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 tsp ground Tumeric
1/2 tsp Roasted Ground Coriander
1/2 Mediterranean Herb ("Perfect Pinch" brand)
1/4 cup Dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz  crumble goat cheese.
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
2 Tablespoons finely chopped Greek Olives.
1 Large Egg
1  pound Ground Lamb.

Place all the ingredients in the Kitchen aid Mixer with the Paddle. Turn on  level 2 and mix until blended. About 1 minute. Not to long or the meat will break down and become  tough. I usually watch it and stop when the ingredients are incorporated  well.

 Shape into patties or balls. Grill on Medium fire.

For sliders, 4 minutes on each side.
For patties, 6 to 8 minutes on each side.

For meatballs. if grilling use a grill pan and cook on medium high with cover down for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the Oven: preheat to 400. put  balls in  a lightly oiled ( I would use olive oil, About 1 Tablespoon)  baking pan, single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

No matter what heat source you use, always cover the meat and let it rest for a few minutes ( about 5)  in order for the moisture to redistribute in the meat. 

You can serve the meat with pitas and tahini sauce, cucumbers and tomatoes.
or on a slide bun with lettuce and tomato and cucumber relish

Enjoy, will serve 8 to 10.

copyright 2014 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"