Mrs. Fields & iVillage 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest (686 photos) Holiday Cookies (24 photos)

Salt & Black Pepper Cookie

My grandmother would make these cookies every Christmas. I revamped the recipe because she scratched it really fast on the back of am old Italian cookbook and I had to decifer the recipe, it was in her head and she new how to put it together, as a kid I would just stir or blend then drop the cookies on the sheet and watch them bake in her double oven! I added the chocolate on top and the black salt for extra added flavor! I always think of her everytime I make these special cookies!

Salt & Pepper Chocolate Cookies

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 sticks butter-melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
31/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoon black pepper-fine ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate drizzle:
8oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse black salt

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In mixer, with mixer attachment add eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Combine flour, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Gather dough into a ball and shape into 1" small meatballs. With measuring cup press flour onto bottom of cup then flatten into discs. Bake on Silpat for 9 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave on high for 30 second intervals until melted.Stir in black pepper. In small ziplock bag add chocolate and snip off corner end of bag and pipe in zig zag lines across cookies, sprinkle each cookie with coarse black salt. Makes 90 cookies.