Earl Grey and Long Pepper Cookies with Lemon Curd
Pungent, sweet and hotter than black pepper, long pepper was used in Indian cuisine as far back as 2000 B.C. Though declared in the 19th century to be “unknown to the modern grocery trade,” it’s being rediscovered by the modern cook.
Use It: To lend heat and a hint of sweetness to Indonesian curries or Indian achar; in place of common pepper in pâté, atop mashed or roasted potatoes; and to season pastries, puddings and fruit desserts.
Buy It: Whole Foods Market, 1160 Town & Country Crossing, Town & Country, 636.527.1160, wholefoodsmarket.com
Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs (room temperature)
Pinch salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract or seeds from half a vanilla bean
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. prepared Earl Grey tea
1 tsp. long pepper, toasted and ground
Lemon curd (recipe follows)
Preparation
• Using a stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix again. Add the eggs, salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and lemon zest and mix to combine. Add the tea and long pepper and mix. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until cool.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Portion the cookies onto an oiled baking sheet. Cook for 7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Serve warm with lemon curd.
Lemon Curd
Set up a double boiler over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, whisk 6 ounces of lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon, 2 eggs, 7 egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar until pale and frothy. Transfer to the top pot of the double boiler and stir constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove the pot from heat and whisk in ½ stick of cubed unsalted butter, cube by cube, until emulsified. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until ready to use.
