Peppernuts (Pfeffernüsse)
Peppernuts, while they contain no pepper and no nuts, are a tiny cookie with a delightful spicy crunch. The cookies have been a tradition for many German families for centuries.
Prairy had carried Voran-Goertzen Peppernuts since the store’s inception, and in fall of 2011 had the opportunity to purchase the small bakery and re-brand the cookie as Prairie Harvest Peppernuts. The unique flavor and addictive aroma of our signature Peppernuts will rekindle memories of Grandma’s kitchen.
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German Mennonite Roots
Prairy is a fitting home for a peppernut bakery as we are located on the edge of the Kansas Flint Hills, an area where many German Mennonites brought their pfeffernüsse recipes when they settled in the 19th Century.
Traditionally, the dough was packed in crocks and stored in the fruit-room of the cellar so that the spices blended smoothly with the sugar and flour. Women shaped the cookies by rolling the dough into ropes and then slicing those ropes to form the tiny round cookies. Others rolled the dough flat and then painstakingly cut perfect little circles using sewing thimbles.
Varieties of Peppernuts
Building on this rich heritage, Prairy, offers three varieties of Peppernuts: Traditional (with anise) and Anise-Free. We also distribute them to other stores in Kansas and several other states.
