After several weeks of nearly non-stop, high-intensity cookie baking, I present you with the final cookie of this year’s Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Starry Night bake-a-thon. TA DA!
In the kick off post, I set the stage for this completely new collection of cookies, most of which break rather dramatically from the traditional holiday cookies of my childhood.
I really wanted to push my understanding of what makes a remarkable and thus memorable Christmas cookie. I wanted to try new and exciting flavor and texture combinations. I wanted to stretch myself as a baker. As I say in the Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Starry Night kick off post, I wanted to throw tradition to the proverbial wind this holiday season.
However, I did not change my basic tenets of what makes a cookie a HOLIDAY cookie. Many cookies, perhaps MOST cookies, do not fill this bill in my estimation. Here are the tenets I presented in the Twelve Days of Christmas: Deck the Halls kick off post.
A holiday cookie must be:
- Very, very buttery
- Dry, light, tender, and/or crisp–rather than chewy or moist
- An excellent keeper (must store and/or freeze for 3+ weeks)
- Small in size, so you can serve and eat a variety
- Beautiful and festive
- Fun to make, fun to eat, fun to give
All of this year’s Christmas cookies meet these requirements. And several of them are so incredible, that I will not be able to wait until next December to bake and eat them again. The cookie you are looking at is one of those cookies.
The first words out of MauiJim’s mouth after eating this cookie and wiping the butter off his lips was, “You CANNOT share this recipe.” Then he proceeded to eat 6 more cookies, claiming they were “defective” and thus not attractive enough for the photo shoot.
In truth, he prefers the defective ones anyway. You know–the cookies that are a little too brown around the edges. He says he wishes I would overbrown all of the cookies, even though it mars their appearance. Does he think those overbrowned edges on half of the cookies happen by carelessness? Ha!
When I asked him why I shouldn’t share the recipe, he said, “WAY TOO GOOD! This one goes in the vault.” Well, I agree that these cookies are some of the best I’ve ever created, but it’s Christmas, and Christmas is about sharing your very best.
I want you to taste these amazing morsels—so light, crisp, crunchy, spicy, and redolent with fresh rosemary and cornmeal. And I can’t, unfortunately, bake them for you.
So over loud protests from the love of my life, I make you this little offering, from my heart to yours. I hope these special cookies add a little spicy sparkle to your holiday festivities.
JUMP TO RECIPE
There’s More
- Check out the entire Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Starry Night collection, as well as the kickoff post.
- Check out the entire Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Deck the Halls collection, as well as the kickoff post.
Loved these cookies the past couple of years but did not save the recipe, only the site. Now when I go to “jump to recipe” it comes up “Not Found”. Is there another way to access this recipe?
Bethany, thanks for the heads up! The link went wonky. I just corrected it, so please try again. Happy baking! 🙂
Hi there, stumbled on to this via a Google search “weird cookies” or “unusual cookies”. I was searching for something really different to enter into my company’s annual cookie-off. It felt odd putting in freshly ground pepper into unsalted butter and sugar, but I did it. They came out great! And I won an Honorable Mention in our contest. Thanks!
Honorable mention? Are you kidding? These cookies are mind blowing. 🙂
This is delicious, but was very unpopular with the 7 and 3 year old (despite putting all his food under a cloud of black pepper or bacon hotsauce, the 7yo declared them too spicy so the 3 yo wouldn’t try them).
So I did some minor modifications. Now we make half the recipe lemon poppyseed, half rosemary black pepper. delicious both ways and now everyone is happy!
Mary, yes, these really aren’t kid cookies. Glad you were able to figure out a way to make everyone happy. 🙂
I must admit I was skeptical about these. I made them this morning at a cookie baking party with some friends, and we were all amazed! So good! And very easy!
Janet, I know they sound weird but so glad you tried and liked them. They’re one of my favorite cookies. 🙂
Thanks for your fast reply!… But I couldn’t wait 🙂 so I made them with the almond extract I had at home (which is from bitter almonds) and they turned out delicious!! We don’t have (in Sweden) the kind of sugar sprinkles you used so I used what we have (if yours look like ice in the color, ours look like snow – does that explanation make sense?) but I will have to find something else to use since it looks kind of weird 🙂 I can send you a picture if you want to see the outcome.
However, Thank You So Much For The Recipe! I totally love it. I like the idea of combining the sweet with the not so sweet. Love it!
Hi!
I have been thinking for a long time that one should be able to make cookies seasoned with black pepper (I love course black pepper!) and happily I found your recipe, so I thought I’d try this recipe but I have one question: is it almond extract from bitter almonds of from “regular” almonds that you use in the recipe? Since I am in Sweden I will do a version of this recipe (keeping it real as much as possible considering the difference in measurements and ingredients available).
Best, Nina
Nina, the almond extact is a bottled flavoring (like vanilla extract). I believe it’s made from regular almonds.
I love this! Such a good flavor combo, can’t wait to try these.
Rachel, you will love these cookies. Let me know how they turn out for you.
Nice! I have a few rosemary plants and haven’t done much with them this year– what a nice alternative take! The pepper adds such a nice dimension! They baked up relatively easy also. Winner!
Dakotagal, thank you! I adore these cookies. 🙂
I made these and almost cried with joy. They are delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Bless your heart, Renee! I felt that rush of joy too when I tasted that first pan of black pepper cookies from the oven. They really are that good. 🙂
Very nice! I like that combination of flavors, and the striking crystals of sugar.
.-= Nate´s last blog ..Chinese Almond Cookie Recipe =-.
Hi Patti! No, use regular black pepper. I found this smoked pepper at Whole Foods and have been experimenting with it. I like the flavor of regular pepper better for these cookies however. Happy baking! 🙂
I remember the interesting combination of pepper in cookies from your classes at NWCA. These will be awesome and I can’t wait to try them. In the picture of the ingredients on the tray I noticed the pepper is “Smoked”? I’ve never seen smoked black peppercorns. Must I use this kind if I can’t find it?
If you follow the step-by-step directions, your cookies will turn out exactly as mine did. 🙂
Beth, thank you! It’s wonderful that you are so creative and free in your cooking. It is an art form, like any other, and once the basic techniques are mastered, creativity should be the goal. I am surprised, however, that the olive oil gave you a great texture. You must have hit upon the magic proportion with half butter and half oil. I have never made an all oil cookie that I liked. Bravo! 🙂
This is a great recipe. I made them last night, though I made some changes, because I’m terrible at actually following a recipe:
whole wheat flour instead of all purpose
1.5 tsp dried rosemary instead of fresh
regular organic sugar for the sprinkles
no almond extract (I didn’t have any), instead I used an equivalent amount of water
half of the butter I substituted with oil olive- which deepened the rich savory flavor.
Two of my Italian colleagues at work oohed and awed when they tried them. They’re probably the best cookies I’ve ever made!
Thanks so much for this recipe! What fun! What Flavor!
Well of course you are correct. Good catch! I must WISH I had some tenants.:-)
These look great. I’m definitely trying them.
For future reference, the word you want is “tenets,” not “tenants.”
Dear Sistah,
Am LOVING your cookie collection this year!!! So far have baked 3 (more than I can remember baking for a long time) and have tried them out on my best-cook friend. She and I agree, so far, on the garam masala and candied ginger being THE best. But will give the Rosemary a shot.
Now here is my question:
When having a cookie-tasting party, what do you suggest as a palate cleanser between cookies? (We used Grey Goose and it worked pretty well even tho it was early afternoon.
Anyhow am loving the website, MauiJim’s photos and the recipes; so nontraditional, so continental, so GOOD!
Christmas Blessings to you all!!!
Oh, Sistah Sue, you will corrupt all my innocent readers. I better come over and save you from yourself and the Grey Goose. I will brew a lovely pot of Darjeeling, and we will eat all of your cookies together. 🙂 I don’t think Ellen Helen is approving of any of this, however. We MUST bake Pepparkakor!