First, in a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, black pepper, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Next, in a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until fluffy, about three minutes.
After that, beat in the egg and star anise extract until combined with the batter.
On low speed, slowly add the flour to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position in the oven rack in the center of the oven. Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place balls on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Next, while the cookies are slightly warm, roll them in powdered sugar and serve.
Enjoy this soft and delicate traditional pfeffeernüsse cookies recipe whenever you need something sweet!