#CreativeCookieExchange- Black Pepper Romano Herb Cookies

The word cookie here means “cracker,” or a cookie without sugar. I stuck to a pepper or rather, peppercorns that are stocked in nearly every person’s kitchen- freshly ground black pepper. I wanted to get more exotic, but this came during a busy week of traveling (we got home yesterday) and relied on ingredients already found in my kitchen.

This included the black pepper, pecorino romano cheese and fresh basil from my garden.

Biggest surprise yet? My fiancee who usually turns his nose up at homemade crackers or savory cookies really liked these! He kept saying that they tasted like a better spiced Cheez-It cracker.

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Black Pepper Romano Herb Cookies

• ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the Romano, basil, salt, and pepper and combine. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute. If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon water.

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the log into 3/8-inch-thick rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten.

Fresh or dried, fruity chile peppers add a great kick to your cookies. Looking for an example to try? Keep reading!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Ginger-Chile Caramel Cookies from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Black Pepper Romano Herb Shortbread from Cream and Butter Baking
• Chocolate Cayenne Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chile Chocolate Coins from The Spiced Life
• Chili Maple Bacon Cookies from Food Lust People Love

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