Pepper + Nuts = Peppernuts?

This happens almost every year.  It starts getting colder outside and this is how my thought processes go. 

OOOH it's fall!  Which means it's almost Halloween! Which means it's almost Thanksgiving....which means it's almost Christmas! OH MY GOSH! I WANT PEPPERNUTS!

Now, most of you are saying: What in the world are peppernuts?!

Let me tell you!  Peppernuts are a little bit of heaven in your mouth.  No they do not contain pepper or nuts, so why are they called peppernuts?  Well they are dutch, and the dutch name for them is pebernodder, and I guess peppernuts is the english equivalent.  Either way, they are delicious.  And they are a family Christmas tradition.

I remember making them every year with my dad and sisters.  Honestly it is one of the funnest things to do around the holidays, I love it!  So I am going to be awesome and give you guys the recipe to making these delicious little morsels!

1/2 lb. Margarine (2 cubes - softened before hand)
2 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Baking Soda
4 Cup Flour
Heaping: 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. Ginger, 1/2 tsp. Cloves, 1/2 tsp Allspice

1. Mix all ingredients (in no particular order, it really doesn't matter)  I would start mixing in a mixer but in the end you will have to pull the dough out and knead it by hand.
2. When your dough is all mixed and a cinnamon-y color, you are ready to start cutting!
3. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
4. Take a little ball of dough and roll it out like a snake.  Roll it until it is about the thickness of a finger, or larger depending on how crunchy or soft you want them.  (the larger they are the softer they will be)
5. Cut the snake into pieces (about an inch in size is a good one, but again depending on how crunchy you want them)
6.  Put them onto a cookie sheet.  Depending on how large you make them, you can usually fit about 50 or so on one cookie sheet.
7.  Bake for 5 min. on the top rack of the oven, then move it to the bottom for 5 minutes.
8.  Take out and let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Have fun!

(Katrina Marie)