Cooking With Grandmothers

WALNUT BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Carluccia loved the earthy, creamy taste of her land’s walnuts; for this cookie I combined their flavor with one of her favorite spices, the black peppercorn, which we foraged for together along Calabria’s wild coastline. The mixture of the peppercorns and walnuts with the butter and honey creates a light, nutty, and ever-so-slightly spicy tea cookie.

CuisineItalian

Servings

2dozen

Servings

2dozen

Ingredients

1/2cup soft unsalted butter(1 stick)
3tbsp cane sugar
3/4tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of salt
3tbsp semi-runny honey(I like a darker honey here—wildflower or chestnut)
1cup raw walnuts(4 ounces, pounded or coarsely ground)
1cup flour
granulated sugarExtra, for sprinkling the cookies

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the black pepper, pinch of salt, and honey; mix to incorporate. Add the nuts and flour, and mix with the electric mixer until the dough forms moist clumps, a few minutes.
Roll large teaspoonfuls of the batter between your clean hands, to make little balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet, and press down on them twice with the tines of a fork to make a crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle with a little bit of granulated sugar. Bake the cookies for 25 minutes, or until their bottoms have turned golden-nutty brown. Set aside to cool before eating.