Recipe: Pepper-cumin cookies
These cookies combine the banality of white sugar with the intensity of black pepper, the tartness of lemon zest and the pungency of cumin.
A recipe for pepper-cumin cookies. (Craig Lee/The New York Times)
When served with fruit — fresh, roasted or stewed — they will emphasise the fruit’s natural sugariness. But when accompanied by a strong cheese like Roquefort or Stilton, the cookies turn indisputably sweet. Alone, they’re a delightful combination of savoury-sweet-spicy, reminiscent of a rosemary shortbread.
TIME: 25 MINUTES
YIELD: 30 COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, cracked
1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, cracked peppercorns and cumin in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and vanilla, and pulse until mixture just forms a dough.
2. Place the dough on a work surface and shape into 2.5 cm balls. Place them 5 cm apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the tray and place them on a rack to cool.
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