They are probably related somewhere in the woodwork, to Pfeffernusse, or pepper nuts.
From Wikipedia:
Pfeffernüsse are tiny spice
cookies, popular as a holiday treat in
Germany,
Denmark, and
The Netherlands, as well as among
ethnic Mennonites in North America.
[1][2][3][4] They are called
pepernoten in
Dutch (plural), päpanät in
Plautdietsch, pfeffernuesse or peppernuts in
English, and pebernødder in
Danish.
History
While the exact origin of the cookie is uncertain, the traditional Dutch belief links the pepernoten to the feast of
Sinterklaas, celebrated on 5 December or 6 December in The Netherlands and 6 December in Germany and Belgium. This is when children receive gifts from St. Nicholas, who is partially the inspiration for the Santa Claus tradition. In Germany, the pfeffernuss is more closely associated with Christmas. The cookie has been part of European yuletide celebrations since the 1850s.
The name peppernut (Pfeffernüsse, pebernød etc.) does not mean it contains nuts, though some varieties do. The cookies are roughly the size of nuts and can be eaten by the handful, which may account for the name.
[5]