Pink Peppercorn Sugar & Spice Cookies

Author Notes

Soft and chewy is the only way to go with sugar cookies, and this one definitely fits the bill. The pink peppercorn and dash of spices give the cookies a warm glow that pairs rather nicely with the turbinado sugar crust on the outside. Side note: you can crush the pepper in a mortar and pestle or peppermill, or just put them in a ziploc bag and bash them with a heavy pot :) —arielleclementine

Test Kitchen Notes

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I have never been a big sugar cookie fan. Stick an array of cookies in front of me and I'll go for the chocolate chip every time; however, since first seeing this recipe, I've been intrigued by the inclusion of pink peppercorns. I mixed up a batch tonight and I was sold from the first lick of the bowl. They were cinch to put together even though I didn't realize until halfway through that I was missing two ingredients -- the ground cardamom and turbinado. For the cardamom, I just crushed a few whole pods, removed the seeds, and whacked them with my meat pounder, Amanda style. In lieu of the turbinado, I just sprinkled with regular cane sugar but I'm sure the crunch provided by turbinado would have been better. As I settled on the couch with a cookie and a glass of milk, my husband snatched half of the cookie out of my hand. After the first bite, he was off the couch and headed to the kitchen to grab his own, while stating "These are great. Not too sweet and not too much cinnamon." I agree wholeheartedly. These are sugar cookies for grown-ups with just the right mix of sugar and spice. - melissav —The Editors