Alright, let’s talk about them pepper cookies. You know, the ones that kinda tickle your tongue and make your mouth water? Yeah, them. I ain’t no fancy baker or nothin’, but I know how to make a good cookie, and these pepper ones, well, they’re somethin’ special.
First off, you gotta get your stuff together. Flour, that’s the main thing. Gotta have flour, the white kind, ya know? And then sugar, the white stuff too. I use the regular kind, ain’t nothin’ fancy about it. And then butter, real butter, not that fake stuff. Makes a difference, it does. And don’t forget the eggs, gotta have eggs to hold it all together.
- Flour – gotta have it
- Sugar – makes it sweet
- Butter – real butter, mind ya
- Eggs – to hold it all together
Now, some folks, they like to add all sorts of fancy things. But me? I keep it simple. You gotta have some baking powder, that’s what makes ’em rise up all nice and fluffy. And then, the secret ingredient, the thing that makes ’em pepper cookies…well, it’s pepper, of course! But not just any pepper. I like to use the black pepper, the kind you grind yourself. It’s got more kick to it. You can also use the red pepper flakes for extra spiciness. Some folks they say add a pinch of cayenne if you really want to feel the heat, but that’s up to you.
Okay, so you got your flour and your sugar and your butter and eggs and your baking powder and your pepper. Now what? Well, you gotta mix it all up. I use a big bowl, nothin’ fancy. Just dump it all in there. Flour first, then sugar, then baking powder, give it a good mix with your hands. Yeah, I said hands. Ain’t no need for fancy machines. Your hands work just fine. Then you cut up your butter in little pieces and throw that in there too. Mix it all up until it looks like crumbs, you know, like little pebbles.
Then you crack your eggs in there. One at a time, mind you. And you mix it all up again. This time you gotta use a spoon or somethin’, cause it gets sticky. Mix it all up good till it forms a ball. Don’t overmix it though, or your cookies will be tough. You want ’em soft and chewy, not hard as rocks.
Now, here’s another secret some folks use, they add a bit of honey or even that corn syrup stuff. Makes the cookies chewy, ya know? Gives them a nice golden color too. I don’t always use it, but sometimes I do. Depends on how I’m feelin’. If you got some, throw it in. A spoonful or two, that’s all you need.
Once you got your dough all ready, you gotta roll it out. I just use a clean countertop, ain’t no need for fancy mats or nothin’. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter so it don’t stick. Then you take your dough and roll it out with a rollin’ pin. If you ain’t got no rollin’ pin, a bottle works just fine. Roll it out til it’s not too thick and not too thin, you know? Just right. Like maybe a quarter of an inch thick.
Then you gotta cut out your cookies. I got some cookie cutters, stars and hearts and such. But you can just use a knife if you want. Cut ’em out in whatever shape you like. Ain’t no rules about it. Once you got your cookies cut out, you gotta put ’em on a baking sheet. I just use a regular old baking sheet, nothin’ fancy. But make sure you grease it a little, so they don’t stick.
Now, the important part: the bakin’. You gotta preheat your oven, I set mine to about 375 degrees. Don’t ask me why 375, that’s just what my old oven likes. Then you put your cookies in the oven and bake ’em for about 10 minutes. Maybe a little longer, maybe a little less. You gotta keep an eye on ’em, you know? You want ’em to be golden brown around the edges, but not burnt.
Once they’re done, you take ’em out of the oven and let ’em cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then you move ’em to a wire rack to cool completely. If you ain’t got no wire rack, just put ’em on a plate. They’ll cool just fine. And that’s it. You got yourself some pepper cookies.
Pepper cookies ain’t just for eatin’ though. They’re good for sharin’. Give some to your neighbors, give some to your friends. Make someone smile. That’s what cookies are for.
Now go on and make yourself some pepper cookies. And don’t be scared to experiment. Add a little more pepper if you like it spicy. Add a little less if you don’t. It’s your cookies, you can do what you want. And that’s the truth.
