Pepper-Cumin Cookies Recipe (2024)

This recipe isn’t great for explaining how you handle a dough like this. Chilling dough in the freezer for at least 30 mins greatly improves the taste and texture. Starting with s fragrant peppercorn blend will yield a more flavorful full cookie. And ALWAYS toast your cumin seeds. They transform into something magical when you do. Hope this helps!

I also toasted the black pepper corns & cumin seeds for a few minutes before cracking. I formed the finished dough into four 1 dia logs, wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 30 mins. My yield was approx 16 disks per log for a total of 60 cookies in the end. The toasted cracked black pepper and cumin seeds rise up to run through the sugar and are tripped up by the lemon zest and kosher salt but land softly in the butter that teamed up with the vanilla. Brilliant!

love this recipe!! Added a teaspoon of lemon juice to bring the dough together in the food processor.

Forgot to add, I baked for 15 minutes - your recipe reads incorrectly. I did rotate the trays after 8 minutes. You don't need to print this - just make the change to the recipe. Cheers and thanks!

In the food processor, the "dough" is just crumble. Take a medium handful, knead it in your hands (it will come together as a dough) and roll it between your palms like a meatball, then press it down on the parchment with your palm. Comes out perfect every time.

These are fantastic! I made them gluten free using GF all-purpose flour with 1/8 tsp of xanthum gum. I toasted whole peppercorns and cumin seeds and crushed them afterwards before adding to the flour. I only wanted to make about 16 cookies so I only did 1/4 the recipe. I rolled the dough into a log and chilled it for 30 minutes prior to slicing and baking (exactly 15 mins). Will definitely be making these again!

Made twice now, a huge hit both times especially served with jam. Did the thing where I shaped the dough on baking sheets, covered with tea towel in fridge for 30 mins. Second round realized we didn't have white flour so tried with whole wheat (subbed confectioners sugar for cane): still delish.

Toast peppercorns and cumin before adding.Chill dough for 30 min before shaping into balls.

Oh my god they are so good. First: it’s shelter hat home times, and my pantry is pretty depleted. There is no flour anywhere to be found, and my butter is running low. I used spelt flour, and added olive oil to make up for about 2 tablespoons of butter. And they came out awesome. Even my not sweet-eating husband is gobbling them down.

These were delicious! Next time I would add less sugar, love the play on salty and sweet! Toasting the cumin makes a world of difference thank you :)

These are unique and delicious - now part of my Christmas cookie repertoire.

I always feel as if spices can be more intense after I make things, so in the case of these cookies, I added 1.5 times the amount of spice, and about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I also chilled the dough, because with something with so much butter, I feel you run the risk of it being extremely greasy. So far, they seem pretty good. They didn't spread out at all, but they are not greasy at all. Overall, I feel like this recipe is a good jumping off point for something potentially awesome.

Tasty. I only had ground cumin, but worked just fine. These are delightful- like little peppery lemony shortbreads. They are a nice change of flavor in a cookie and easy peasy. I did role the dough into a a role and chilled it for a half hour. I think that made the cookies cook better.

Delicious! I don’t own a food processor so used my stand mixer. I did need to beat it a bit to get a gatherable dough, but that did not effect texture. Took others advice...toasted the cumin and pepper and chilled the dough. A lovely, savoury cookie. Thanks!

I've made these almost every year since the recipe was published 20+ years ago, and it becomes a bit of a party game for people to guess the spices. I have always made exactly as published, but this year I will toast my spices based on feedback here.

I toasted the cumin seed and the peppercorns in a skillet. I cracked them in a spice grinder just for a few seconds. To make the balls, I used a 1 inch scoop and then rolled them into balls. I used a flat bottomed glass to flatten. These are really great. I taking them to wine club tonight!!

Excellent! The recommendations to toast the spices & refrigerate were spot-on. These paired perfectly with the Raisin-Hater’s Apple Chile Chutney, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and hot sauce, and any combinations of those.

Used an old fashioned pastry blender & made these as I would a pie crust. Came out perfectly and no extra equipment to cleanup.

Terrific and easy to make. I’ve toasted the spices before cracking and I’ve not toasted them. Both works, toasted is my favorite, but only I noticed.

Could definitely add a bit more spice to these cookies if you'd like. I did 1.5x as much cumin and pepper (and roasted them) but maybe could have done 2.5x as much. The lemon really comes through in this cookie. It's nice and airy in the middle too! Love the recipe but will adjust in the future.

Ugh my first attempt was a disaster - they all basically melted in the oven. I guess I didn’t pulse the dough enough? I had cut the butter up into squares

I do not have a food processor and I tried to pulse with a blender — Unsuccessfully. The mixture remained crumbly so I kneaded it with my hands — successfully. I found the cookies to have a weird taste but my guests said they liked them.

I only had enough for 1 tsp zest, so added some lemon juice and hoped for the best. Used toasted cumin and toasted, smoked peppercorns, crushed in mortar. Dough was of course extra soft thx to the extra liquid, but I rolled into 30cm cylinder, and it firmed up nicely overnight in fridge inside cut up paper towel roll to keep its shape. Sliced them into 1cm thick coins, they came out great! Love these, will be making them every year for Xmas!

When will the NYTimes recipes also include weight measures? They are far more accurate when baking.

Made twice now, a huge hit both times especially served with jam. Did the thing where I shaped the dough on baking sheets, covered with tea towel in fridge for 30 mins. Second round realized we didn't have white flour so tried with whole wheat (subbed confectioners sugar for cane): still delish.

Delicious! I don’t own a food processor so used my stand mixer. I did need to beat it a bit to get a gatherable dough, but that did not effect texture. Took others advice...toasted the cumin and pepper and chilled the dough. A lovely, savoury cookie. Thanks!

A favorite at Wine Club! The sugar, lemon, spice and butter are intensified to varying degrees depending upon the wine pairing.

I am going to try this recipe. But anyone try to cut back on the sugar? Will the cookies be any less "cookie"?

Add an egg to cheese puff