Really Spicy Spiced Cookies - not for the timid . . .

I like interesting recipes that call for ingredients that don't seem to fit with the other ingredients but, somehow, end up being different and still tasty. My son still claims that the chocolate bean cupcakes were the best ever. This recipe is a bit more tame but still not run of the mill. My husband used to make a pepper cake cracker so this was just in line with our tastes.

Really Spicy Spiced Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar*
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon your favorite chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black or white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of cayenne pepper - depends on how much heat you like.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest*
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
(To really incorporate the fresh orange zest taste into your dough, you can grind the sugar and zest together in a blender or food processor before using.)

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, baking powder, spices, vanilla extract, orange zest, and beat to combine thoroughly. Beat in the egg and milk and mix in the flour. Knead dough into a ball, divide into two, and shape into a long roll. The width of the roll depends on how big a cookie you want. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for 2-4 hours or until firm but not frozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut rolls of dough into 1/4th-inch thick slices and place about an inch or so apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake approximatel 8 minutes or until the cookies take on a golden edge. Cool on wire rack.

Ideas . . .
Melt 1 cup of milk or semisweet chocolate chips until smooth. Spread one cookie with the melted chocolate and top with a second cookie.

Melt 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips. Dip each cookie half way into the melted white chocolate. Place the cookies on sheets of waxed paper, grind a bit of fresh black pepper on the white chocolate, and let them harden and set.

Lay the cooled cookies out on waxed paper. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips. Drizzle some of each on every cookie and let them harden before serving.

Mix one cup of apricot jam, 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest together. Use this to sandwich the cookies together. You can still drizzle melted chocolate over the top of each one for added appeal.