Snick and Tired: Why Cookies for Dinner is Justified

I'm so mad. I woke up with this stupid head cold during a glorious week of perfect weather. All I've done all day is binge watch Walking Dead episodes until it got too stressful, then slurped ramen and read Game of Thrones until it got too stressful and that's when I decided what I truly deserve is the ultimate comfort: cookies.  When some people get sick, they do nothing but drink water and sleep and come out of it looking fabulous.  When I get sick, I do nothing but eat carbs and cover all the mirrors.  Needless to say this isn't one of my finer moments of self care and health, but I DON'T CARE, I'M SICK AND I WANT COOKIES FOR DINNER.  And since there's a strange trend of adding savory elements to dessert, like balsamic vinegar as a topping for ice cream (not terrible, actually!) or bacon to everything (obviously a very good idea) I though I'd try this...

Recipe #26: Black Pepper Snickerdoodles

Choice of libation: Orange juice with just a splash of medicine.  And by "medicine" I mean "vanilla extract." And by "vanilla extract" I mean "rum."
Choice of music: Pete's Dragon soundtrack.  Oh man, you guys, talk about nostalgia.  I would watch this every day on the Betamax from age 4-6. And the music totally holds up.  Holla, Helen Reddy. Is that a t-shirt at Urban Outfitters yet?

Whole wheat flour for fiber, eggs for protein, butter for calcium,  

and cinnamon to jump start that metabolism.

And of course, "vanilla extract."

Now you can't see it as well in this picture, but I added a crap ton of black pepper to the mix, and it was at this point that I started to question whether that was a good idea.  But there's no turning back.  Just like the Starks of Winterfell. That wasn't a spoiler (for the 3 other people who haven't started Game of Thrones yet).  That's just how the saying goes.

Usually I'd approximate a pinch of nutmeg, but how adorable is this ceramic 1/4 teaspoon my friend Nora gave us for a wedding present.  Obviously it came with a whole set of measuring spoons (and obviously I have broken most of them by now).

Snickerdoodles always take me back to when I used to help my Mom bake.  And by "help bake" I actually just mean, she did most of the work and let me dip the dough balls into the cinnamon sugar.  

They don't look like much now...

But boy howdy, those were exactly what I was craving.  And actually, the black pepper gives it a kick but in a really cool way. 

And I highly recommend it with orange juice and "vanilla extract."

Stolen from

thekitchn.com

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

( I added 1 tablespoon black pepper)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon "vanilla extract" (spiced rum)

For the cinnamon sugar:

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

(1/4 tablespoon black pepper)

Heat the oven to 425°F. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave and let it cool while you mix the dry ingredients. Stir together the sugars, flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the eggs into the cooled butter and add the vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until it comes together.

In a soup plate or shallow bowl, mix together the white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Form small 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on an unlined, ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 7 minutes then remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen in logs.