Pink Peppercorn Spice Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe - Eat Like No One Else (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

Storing Tips to Keep Cookies Soft

Store cool cookies in an airtight container (not a cookie jar with a loose lid) at room temperature. Putting cookies, cakes or breads in the refrigerator will dry them out.

Their flavor is similar to that of a black peppercorn, but it's not as strong and the flavor is much brighter and fruitier. They are slightly sweet and mild in spiciness, making them a great addition to butter-based sauces, salads, seafoods, dressings, and poultry dishes.

Pink peppercorns lend foods a different kind of heat, closer to chiles than black pepper. They have the same peppery bite, but it's wrapped in a sweet fruity flavor reminiscent of a berry with an attitude. Alternate dried pink peppercorns (milder) OR - Black peppercorns (hotter) OR - White peppercorns.

Also, underbaking them by a minute or 2 will help them retain a dense, chewy bite, explains Jenny McCoy, pastry baking arts chef-instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York. Adding more moisture to your dough in the form of extra butter, egg yolks, or brown sugar will make your cookies even softer.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

The floral and fruity flavor of pink peppercorns works well in spice rubs for meat, poultry, and fish since it can uplift any heavy, rich notes. That fruitiness also accompanies ingredients like galangal, garlic, and lemongrass quite well, making it a great addition to many Thai curries.

What we do know is that pink peppercorns contain antioxidants and antibacterial essential oils. There is also some evidence to suggest that pink pepper can lower blood sugar and the risk of developing cancers.

Why is pink peppercorn expensive? ›

While “true” Piper nigrum peppercorns do turn a reddish-pink as they mature and can be found packed in brine, they are a rarity. (“They're more expensive because they take longer,” Gregorio said. “They're sweeter, fruity. Much different than any of the others.”)

Storage: McCormick Culinary® Pink Peppercorns have a shelf life of 720 days when stored tightly closed in a cool, dry place to protect against flavor loss and moisture. Avoid exposure to heat, humidity, direct sunlight and fluorescent light to maintain flavor and color.

If rehydrating the peppercorns, consider exploring different liquids for soaking. Water is classic, but wine, liquor, or stock work as well. Peppercorns soaked in brandy and used to sauté a thick steak or chicken breast will unlock a variety of complex yet subtle flavors.

Cookies begin losing moisture through evaporation from the moment that they come out of the oven. So it's totally normal for them to harden up a bit. Yet, this is why you need to store them in an airtight container once they completely cool or they will continue to lose moisture.

the more you mix cookie dough. the more the gluten develops and they become hard and dry and an unfavorable texture. reason no 3 you're over baking them. make sure you take them out when they're just slightly golden brown.

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.