Chocolate Lulus

These unusual cookies have a bold, dark chocolate flavour, but really get their secret kick from the unrecognizable addition of pepper. Try these when you are not in the mood for an overly 'sweet' cookie. I should also note that when I made these, I only made 12 larger cookies, using tablespoon-sized balls of batter, and they came out smashingly as well. From Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies.

• Ready In: 27 mins
• Serves: 34

Ingredients

• 3  ounces  semisweet chocolate
• 4  ounces unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups  sifted unbleached flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  pinch salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  finely ground black pepper or 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper (preferably freshly ground)
• 1  egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
•  granulated sugar (for coating the cookies)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Chop chocolate into pieces, and melt together with butter in microwave, just a couple of minutes (stir well when removing).
3. Add brown sugar and stir until well-mixed: let stand.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, cocoa, salt and pepper; set aside.
5. In large bowl, beat egg and vanilla just to mix.
6. Add the chocolate mixture (which may or may not be hot) and stir to mix.
7. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to mix.
8. Place granulated sugar in shallow bowl.
9. Form dough into teaspoon or so sized balls, rolling between palms of hands.
10. Drop balls into granulated sugar; roll well to coat, and place on lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
11. Using a fork, flatten each cookie down slightly with tines.
12. Bake for about 12 minutes; cookies should be semifirm around edges and still somewhat soft in centers.
13. They will crisp as they cool.
14. Do not overbake.
15. Store in airtight container.
16. Repeat with remaining dough.