Directions: |
Directions:Instructions Step x Step: Note*** The mixing of dough should not be done out of order; the result will not be the same otherwise. Remember cooking is all about the food chemistry and reactions.
Again, I stress taking time to follow instructions and the cookie will be delicious. If not, please email me, so we can figure out what happened.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Place all butter and sugar into bowl and "cream" them together until butter and sugars are fully incorporated (Average) 1.5 - 2 minutes.
***A standing mixer is an ideal partner or hand mixer***
In a small bowl beat the egg and vanilla together then turn on mixer and slowly add the egg and vanilla to the creamed sugar and butter
Auto mixer on low 30seconds to 1minute minute.
Place dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk lightly.
Flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, black pepper, cinnamon.
Set aside.
****NOTE: The steps above are important and have everything to do with the texture of this cookie- combining all the ingredients out of order will not create the same cookie.
Combine all ingredient together; slowly and incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough forms.
If using a mixer turn mixer on slow and add the dry ingredients slowly into the "creamed “wet ingredients.
Once the ingredients are mixed to a uniform color. Stop at once. DO NOT OVER MIX or suffer the repercussions of all the wheat gluten and proteins falling apart.
Sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar and cocoa powder on a clean surface and shape dough into a small roll.
Take a small knife, dip in powdered sugar, and cut off the ends of the log so that the log is flush (Your log should look like a paper towel roll roll) The log should be one foot long and two inches in circumference.
Place in the refrigerator for 15-60 minutes (up to 1 week) in fridge This will stiffen dough to make it easier to cut. You can skip this step if needed.
Dust a sharp knife with cocoa or powdered sugar and cocoa powder and cut cookie one-eighth of an inch for those who do not know fractions of an inch - it is about the width of four quarters turned on their side.
The cookies do not get larger or spread out very much - the size they are now is the size they will be.
Oven 350'F
Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about one inch apart.
Warning: As you bake the cookies in batches- by the time you get halfway done with your entire batch- you will need to cut 1-2 minutes of the bake time because the oven will be hotter than the first batch and these cookies
are not good over baked. When the cookies look like they are almost done they are done and will continue to bake until cooled.
Bake in the preheated oven and bake for 8-11 minutes (first 2-3 batches then 7-10 minutes batches four and on)
Visually- The edges will be dry and set, and the center looks slightly underbaked.
Then remove from Oven and set entire sheet on safe and place and let sit for 5 minutes then move to cooling rack.
Once cookies are cooled and ready to be decorated... prep you topping- Melted chocolate and Coarse sugar or Sea Salt, Carmel etc.
You can add whatever specialty peppercorns freshly ground or go crazy and change it up and add something new.
This cookie should be present like this:
Small delicate, Dark Chocolate brown, and have a rich and semisweet flavor profile, and pepper should not be the first thing you notice.
You should not have a pepper flavor but spicey semi-sweet chocolate and sweet chocolate from the topping should be the most noted flavors with soft spiciness, which makes this a perfect holiday cookie.
On that note this dough can be made ahead of time and frozen (up to 2 months) to help keep the
holiday cookies prep as it should be!
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This recipe for Chocolate Pepper Cookies is from