"Pepper Nuts" (pfeffernuesse)

Eleanor Meyer / Jane Martinson / Gramma Lucille / Aunt Barb

Ingredients

• 6 cups sifted flour, Use 6 to 7
• 4 cups
• 1 1/4 cups Karo, dark
• 1 cup sugar (half brown/half white)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon anise oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs

Instructions

Warm sugar, syrup, shortening, and butter. Cool. Then add rest of ingredients. Add flour LAST. Roll small portions of dough into "snakes", cut off small chunks, roll into balls, and drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350-375° for 8-10 minutes.

These take forever, but they're worth the trouble. This recipe is 1/2 of the original one. Jane said her Gramma used to make them on a wood stove—must have taken her a whole day!