Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread Cookies

I convinced my mom to buy a used edition of Baking: From my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I've seen so many blog posts about Tuesdays with Dorie, and wondered about some of the recipes that were picked. I'm always drawn to the more unusual recipes and flavors. I'm not sure why but I decide that my first venture into this cook book would be to make Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbreads. Then we would really know, if these came out yummy well then this cook book was probably a good investment.



Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp vanilla extract


Mix the flour and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer beat the butter until smooth and add in the sugar, continue to beat until they incorporate. Add the yolk, salt, pepper and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add the flour and cocoa mixture in a few separate additions. Mix until combined.

Turn the dough out onto your workspace and divide the dough in half. You want to roll 2 six inch logs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Once the dough has chilled cut the logs into 1/2 inch rounds (you will end up with 24 cookies) bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350 degree until firm. Let them cool a minute on the hot trays before moving to cooling racks.


My dad the official taster here said that he could not taste the pepper in the cookies, he was guessing all over the place, asking if they were brownie cookies, then telling me there was a flavor he could not identify, he ended thinking it was a different kind of chocolate that I used. So in the end they're good, and people will like them. Unusual in name only and the flavors blend to make them a nice chocolate shortbread. Maybe the intent of both the salt and pepper as in many cooking dishes are just to enhance the flavors already there and not make a salt or pepper statement in the cookie.

In the end I can't wait to make another recipe from this cook book. It was a good buy.