Pefernoss

Many years ago, when I worked in the restaurant business, I knew a waitress named Shirley. A bit of an ornery old character, but that gal could work circles around any three young waitresses. I remember one Sunday morning in particular when Shirley called to say that the opening cook hadn't showed up, so I went in to open up the kitchen. The dishwasher also was a no-show, and the second waitress that was supposed to work in the morning was running late for some reason. Shirley and I ran that place by ourselves the first few hours of a Sunday morning breakfast rush, and it was a thing to behold! Not a wasted movement as the two of us remained in a constant circuit between the dining room, dishwashing area, and kitchen.

Anyway, Shirley used to bring in an old (I thought it was German) traditional spiced cookie, called Pefernöss. I loved them, and one day managed to talk her out of the recipe, just in case. A number of years later, I found that Shirley had died of cancer, taking her recipe to the grave. But I found a copy in my files, and it's here in the cloud for posterity.

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (lard works wonders, too)
1 egg
1/2 tsp anise oil
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
3-1/2 cups of flour

Mix batter well.
Bake drop cookies - size by preference, but usually a around a tablespoon of batter each for 7 minutes at 350 degrees.
After they cool, dip them in powdered sugar.

Here's to you, Shirley. We miss you!