“Okay, I thought the idea of these cookies sounded totally weird, but I was a good sport and gave them a try for my Austrian friend’s birthday”

These unique cookies offer a rich chocolate flavor with a warm blend of spices, including cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and a hint of cayenne for a subtle kick.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Sifting ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and well combined.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until the batter is light and smooth.
4. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
5. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
6. Once chilled, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log approximately 3 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap.
7. Place the wrapped dough logs in the freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until they are firm enough to slice easily.
8. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Remove one dough log from the freezer at a time. Slice it into rounds about ½ inch thick. Arrange the cookie slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie.
10. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool after baking.
11. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container for storage.