Pfeffernusse Cookies

I make this more time consuming by hand grinding and grating all the large amounts of spices except the ginger, but if you use preground, it's very fast and easy. I also grind two pipli catkins (or long peppers) along with the black peppercorns, since I have them on hand. This is an excellent holiday cookie for someone who likes a gingersnap with a little extra bite, and has become a staple of my holiday cookie baking. I had a little trouble finding anise extract this year but tracked it down after Christmas, so they were only a little late.