Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Christmas Fruit and Nut Wreath


Before Internet, we received small advertising brochures with recipes in the mail and the reason I tried this one is because the picture looked so beautiful! My husband always says “You know, this is the only thing you have to make for Christmas, don’t you?” (Too bad I love to bake!)
We also had a good laugh when our three-year-old grandson saw it on the counter and exclaimed. “That’s my best!!”

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 3 - 3 1/2 cup flour, divided
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons quick rise yeast
  • 1 egg
Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped almonds
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup glace mix (finely chopped candied fruit)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Updated (alternate)  filling:
  • 2 tablespoons butter for spreading
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup cranberries
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots
  • 1/4 cup diced candied citrus peel 
  • rind of one orange
Icing:
  • 3/4 - 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons milk 
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (stir until smooth)

1. Heat milk and butter until hot to touch. Cool somewhat with ½ cup cold water.
2. In mixing bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
3. Stir hot liquids into dry mixture. Mix in the egg, then 1 1/2 - 2 cups flour, to make a soft manageable dough that does not stick to sides of bowl.
4. Cover and rise 20 minutes.

5. Roll out on floured surface into 16 x 9 inch rectangle.
6. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon filling.
7. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place seam down, shaping into a circle on greased or parchment paper lined pizza pan, folding ends one inside the other.
8. Cut 2/3 of the way into ring at 1 inch intervals. Turn each slice a little outward, on its side. Cover and rise about 45 min. Bake at 350° F, about 20 min. Slide off pan onto wire rack to cool.

9. Drizzle with icing.
10. Sprinkle with slivered toasted almonds.

Pfeffernuesse (Peppernuts)


Christmas is around the corner and it's time to be thinking of making Pfeffernuese. This is a great recipe to make with a friend.  It takes half the time and is twice the fun.



There's a bit of history to these tiny spiced cookies.
 I remember being told that Mennonite grandmothers used to keep a few peppernuts in their purses during church services. When the children would become a bit noisy or restless, they would pop one of these hard nuggets into their mouths and the necessity of sucking the hard cookie and the surprising spiciness would distract the child and silence was achieved.
There are many recipes for Peffernuesse but this is my favourite.  I make them at the beginning of November so they have time to ripen.
They are always number one on the list of Christmas favourites at our house and are a bit addictive.
It's a big recipe and I have often only made half of it.  However if you make the whole recipe, you can pack the Pfeffernuesse in pretty Christmas tins to give as gifts.

    Here is the recipe I use - it is easily halved if the whole amount is intimidating.
      Be sure to read the recipe through before starting.

  • 4 cups Roger's Golden syrup (this is different than corn syrup)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups margarine or butter
  • 2 cups milk
  1. Combine the above ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Let mixture cool completely before continuing.
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tsp. peppermint extract (use the clear extract not the green tinted one)
  1. Beat eggs in a small bowl and add extracts. Set aside.
  • 12- 14 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground star anise (not anise seed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Place 7 cups flour in a large mixer bowl.
  2. Add spices and baking powder and stir until completely blended with flour.
  3. Add syrup mixture to the flour, stirring well until blended.
  4. Add beaten egg mixture and continue to stir until blended.
  5. Continue to add flour until dough thickens but remains sticky. You will still be able to stir it with a wooden spoon however it will take a bit of strength.The amount of flour may vary depending on your flour and the amount of humidity. Please note that the dough will harden considerably once it has been refrigerated so be careful not to add too much flour.
  6. Refrigerate dough overnight or for several days.
  7. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper. These cookies will stick to the pan however if you use parchment paper, they will just slide right off and you can reuse the paper.
  8. Using a tablespoon (from your cutlery drawer), spoon out a good handful of the dough.
  9. Sprinkle a little flour on your counter and roll the dough into a long rope about the thickness of your ring finger.
  10. Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut the rope into 1/2 inch pieces and place on your prepared pans. (I get 99 cookies on each large cookie sheet)
  11. Bake at 350ยบ F  for about 15 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown. This is where having a convection oven comes in handy as you can bake 2 or 3 cookie sheets at a time.
  12. Remove from pan and cool. Store in ice cream pails in a cool place.
  13. The Pfeffernuesse will keep for a long time - at least 6 months - but only if you hide them..