Cookies: One Little, One Big...Guess Which One Packs a Punch?

Jennifer Roper Stott has an amazingly fun blog and she posted an intriguing recipe. See the link below:

http://www.jensfavoritecookies.com/2011/07/28/black-pepper-cookies/

Well, this reminded me of a cookie that I had made once years ago. I thought it, too, had black pepper in it; but my memory does not serve me well. The ingredient that packed the punch was TABASCO. Check it out. It brings heat to the table. The recipe comes from a book called "The Great Amerian Cookie Book.

Peppersass Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2/3 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 egg

2 teaspoons TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixture at low speed until well blended. Add egg, TABASCO Sauce, vanilla and flour mixture; beat until smooth.

Divide dough in half; place halves on plastic wrap. Shape each half into log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow dish. Cut dough logs into 1/4 inch thick slices; dip each slice in sugar. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are golden around edges. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Cook's notes: Some of the easiest cookies to make are refrigerator cookies. But they often aren't the prettiest and they never seem to make as many as promised. I used red sugar to give them some color. Final verdict is that they look and taste like a crisp sugar cookie with a little tang. And then comes the heat. Interesting and surprising.

This second cookie is a family favorite. However, it's a really temperamental recipe; but well-worth it. The recipe calls for butter, but I find that the margarine gives it a nice crisp outside texture. I made the recipe for years with no problems (Emily even won a blue ribbon at the county fair and got chosen for state at the age of 10.) and then the cookie started not working out. It turns out that manufacturers had changed out the ingredients in cheaper brands of margarine and they were no longer as effective for baking. I find that Blue Bonnet works the best. Also, it works better if the kitchen isn't really hot. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour and the cookies will end up being the crispy and cakey finished product that you want. Like I say, a little finicky, but my family will tell you that's it is well worth it. BTW, the recipe came out of the Ladies Home Journal magazine about 30 years ago. Oh, and I ALWAYS double it.

Giant Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

In large mixer bowl with mixer at medium speed, cream butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. In a separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture until well blended. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a flat open bowl. Shape dough into 2 inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (Cookies will spread!). Bake 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. (Snickerdoodles will pull up at first, then flatten out to giant size during baking.) Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack. 2 dozen.