At first glance, these cookies look like little snowballs. They’re small nuggets of dough wrapped in a powdery layer of confectioners’ sugar (though you can also glaze them with icing). They look a lot like kourabiedes (Greek butter cookies) but when you pop one of these in your mouth, it’s a welcome to a surprise, because the key ingredient in these traditional German Christmas treats isn’t ginger but pepper! With five spices plus black pepper (and did I mention molasses?), pfeffernusse cookies provide the perfect kick to your holiday cookie platter.

Roughly translated, “pfeffernusse” (pronounced FEFF-er-noos-ah) means “pepper nut.” But guess what? It doesn’t contain nuts. While these cookies have plenty of black pepper spice (some people like to use white pepper), they don’t contain nuts. They get their name from the size and shape of the cookies, which are similar in size to a whole walnut or pecan.

Much like the American tradition of Santa Claus stuffing stockings with treats and presents, in Germany, kids put their shoes outside their bedrooms so St. Nicholas can stuff them with pfeffernusse and other treats. And what treats they are! After one bite, you'll want to make these year after year.