Black Pepper Chocolate Cookies Recipes

GRANDMA ANNA'S ITALIAN PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves for cookies together into a large bowl.
• Place shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until melted. Pour into dry ingredients and mix with a spoon.
• Add milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla; mix with a spoon to combine. Add raisins, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped walnuts and mix with your hands to combine. Roll dough into small balls and set 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Prepare glaze while cookies cool. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Add milk, orange juice, and orange zest and mix until smooth.
• Brush glaze onto cooled cookies or spread with a spoon. Decorate with sprinkles.

VIENNESE CHOCOLATE PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer on medium speed, soften the butter, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, if still a little gritty, about 2 minutes. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper and the allspice. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
• Lightly dust the work surface with flour and turn the dough onto it. Roll gently into a 9-inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liner.
• Slice the log into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for about 6 more minutes, or until the cookies are slightly puffed and the tops feel springy. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. After all of the cookies are cooled, sift the sugar-pepper mixture over the cookies through a fine-mesh strainer. Store in an airtight container at room temperature between layers of wax paper for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

CHOCOLATE PEPPER COOKIES (SOUTH AFRICAN)

Steps:

• Melt half the chocolate.
• Beat butter until light and airy.
• Add sugar and beat until completely incorporated into butter.
• Beat in eggs one by one.
• Combine flour and baking soda and sift into butter mixture little by little until incorporated.
• Mix chocolate into the butter mixture.
• Stir in remaining chopped chocolate and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate until dough is cool and firm.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cover baking sheet with parchment paper ( or grease generously).
• Place tablespoonful of batter about 1 inch apart on sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp on outside but still chewy inside.

CHOCOLATE-BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
• Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Roll log in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from parchment paper. Let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Roll log in sanding sugar, gently pressing down to adhere sugar to dough. Transfer log to a cutting board, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each round with freshly ground pepper.
• Bake cookies until there is slight resistance when you lightly touch centers, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.