Pfefferneuse - A German Treat from my Great Grandmother

Pfefferneuse

 Here's what pfefferneuse look like. They are not a very pretty cookie but they are really tasty. My dad tells me that these are a "depression cookie". Made in the 1930's during the Great Depression because they didn't cost very much and they made a large amount. They have become our family's Christmas tradition. My Great Aunt Laura taught me to make them. It has taken a little trial and error because the recipe gives general amounts...

 Gather your ingredients and tools to make the pfefferneuse. I use a food processor, scraper for cleaning carrots, a knife, an extra large bowl, and a cutting board.

 Spices and the milk.

 Clean your carrots and trim the ends. Cut to size to put them into the food processor. The recipe says 25 carrots. I use 5-6 pounds.

 (My Great Grandmother and Great Aunts grated the carrots by hand. I am thankful for the food processor!)

 Add the sugar.

 Add the butter and spices. (I use butter instead of lard.) Stir well, incorporating all but the flour.

 Begin to add in the flour. The recipe says enough flour to roll into snakes. I use between 5 and 10 pounds of flour.

Put flour on board and roll dough into snakes.

 Cut the snake into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

 Begin placing the pieces on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

They are a very moist cookie. Do not store in plastic. They will mold in plastic. I use glass jars and keep them frozen or refrigerated. I take them out the day I will be serving them.

Pfefferneuse

Handed down recipe from Mrs. Martha Hoeppner (Don Ratzlaff's Grandmother)

given by: Laura Glewwe (Martha's daughter)

25 carrots grated very fine

3 cups white sugar

1 pound lard

2 tsp cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

10 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup milk

2 cups water

Enough flour to roll into long strips. Cut into inch to 1½ inch long pieces. Bake in moderate oven until done.

Start at 450° reduce to 400° (15-20 minutes)

Notes from Denise: I use 5 pounds of carrots, butter instead of lard, and at least 5 pounds of flour. I bake them at 400° for 20-25 minutes - put cookie sheets in the middle of the oven. Store in glass. They will mold quickly in plastic.

Advent, preparing my heart for the coming of Christmas....

The coming of Christmas, the coming of Christ on Christmas, and preparing my heart. It's that time of year when the hustle and bustle can overtake the real meaning of the season of Christmas. So, I take a moment to sit. A moment to focus. A moment to listen to Him. He is the one to listen to....the Holy Spirit. Guiding and leading me. (And you too if you so desire his guiding and leading). It's just that, to desire His leading above all else. I so desire to have him take my heart in His hands and mold it to be like His. He is so beautiful, so wise, so wonderful, so loving, and precious to me. So as I reflect on how he came that first Christmas to impact humanity, it overwhelms me that God came to earth as a baby. I so desire that sacrificial heart like His. And so I wonder what He would like me to see through His eyes this Christmas?

As I prepare my home, I ponder. I see the people He has blessed my life with as I remember as I decorate. I see His heart through theirs...

 An ornament given to me from one of my former dance students (Trish Oster Zastrow). She blessed my life then and continues to bless it now as she helps to rescue unborn children from abortion.

A handmade ornament from a special neighbor growing up. She was also a grandmother that didn't want to be called grandmother, so we called her Gima. Her real name was Nora Maturn. She was a true example of a dedicated Christian woman who shone for Christ. She modeled hospitality as she had tea parties for neighbors and young ones. She also was an adoptive mom. God planted seeds of adoption in my heart through her (and her daughter, who was adopted and also adopted).

 These little baskets came from Guatemala through a foreign exchange student who stayed with us for a few months. God blessed us by bringing us Vanessa. We laughed a lot when she tried to walk on ice.

 This beautiful angel came from a special friend God blessed us with in Cannon Falls. She was so thoughtful to know that I love the color purple. As I hang her on our tree, I remember my friend and also the angels that brought messages to Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph that first Christmas season leading up to the birth of Jesus.

 This little darling was a gift to our daughter, Hannah from Grandma Helen. Helen was my husband's mother and also a special blessing. Helen loved God's Word and especially the King James version of the Bible. As I hang this ornament, I think of her and her devotion to Christ and that she gave birth to the man of my dreams.

 Jesus is the reason for the season and these nativity scenes crafted by Eddie Walker came from Midwest Importers in Cannon Falls. Each year when I display these, I think of that first Christmas and that it is indeed Jesus' birthday. When our children were growing up, my mom and dad would come for Christmas Eve and mom would bring a cake for Jesus' birthday. I am thankful for those memories of spending Christmas Eve with my parents and our family.

 This is an ornament that my parents gave to each of our children to hang on the Christmas tree. It reminds me of how special each of our children are to us and how thankful we are that God blessed us with each one of them. (We've also had great times sliding in the winter!)

 Joy came down on Christmas day. I am so joyful when I think of the hope we all have in our faith in Jesus Christ. When we have Jesus, we know that we have eternity in our hearts and will see all our loved ones that also have Jesus in their hearts. The joy, the never ending joy in the hope of heaven. Thank you for my sister, Michelle for making and gifting this to our family. Michelle is my baby sister. I am thankful God gave her to me and blessed my life with hers. Sisters are special gifts. Jean has been a special gift to me as well. God knows just how many special siblings to place in our lives.

 Thank you God for special neighbors in all the communities we have lived. We have been blessed.

Thank you God for special prayer partners who pray with me and for me, my circle of friends, and my relatives.

I am ready. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Denise