Peppernodder

This recipe is for little spice cookies my mom made during the Holidays.  I have continued her tradition of making them very small.  I make them the size of quarters and you will be tempted to eat them by the handful.  I make several batches each year because it’s impossible to only eat a few.

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup butter

• 1 egg

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 2 cups flour

• 2 tablespoons cream

• ½ cup walnuts finely chopped

Cream sugar with butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add egg and spices.  Mix together.  Add baking powder and 1 cup of flour with 1 tablespoon of cream.  Blend.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended.

Put dough ½ cup at a time onto a floured work surface.  Roll into 3/4 inch diameter coils (like Playdough snakes).  Cut the coil in half and roll each half in waxed paper.  Place on a sheet pan.  Continue rolling until all the dough is used.  Place sheet pan in the freezer to chill dough.  Chill 4 hours or overnight. 

Pull coils out of freezer a few at a time.  Remove waxed paper and place on a cutting board.  Cut coils into 1/8 inch rounds.  Place rounds on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350º for 8 to 10 minutes until browned.  Since these cookies are too small for a cooling rack I cool them on brown grocery bags laid on top of my cooling racks.

Makes lots.