These chocolate spice cookies are flavoured with black treacle, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a little black pepper. They are like a soft chocolate-flavoured gingerbread cookie.
Months later, I found this fancy can of black treacle when I was in Brampton, Ontario (not quite London, England, but hey, they have treacle!). Lyle's Golden Syrup and Lyle's Black Treacle are often listed in British recipes but I'd never come across the stuff, so I was pretty excited when I saw a stack of these cans. Some girls get excited over a new pair of shoes or a cashmere sweater, and I am over-the-moon when I find a fancy can of black treacle.
The syrup is dark and so molasses-y, but not as sweet as the fancy molasses that I am used to. My first recipe with the stuff is for these chocolate spice cookies. Their deep dark colour comes from the black treacle and some Cocoa Barry extra dark cocoa.
These chocolate spice cookies are wafer-like (like the chocolate cookies you'd grind up to make a chocolate cookie crust). Ginger and black pepper feature prominently in the flavour of these cookies. The peppery notes surprise you as you munch on them, right at the back of your throat, kind of like when you indulge in a chilli chocolate bar.
Of course, you can tweak the spice combination and use whatever spice you fancy. I think these are perfect for a cup of coffee or black tea, and the flavors are absolutely right for the crisp fall and winter months.
Chocolate spice cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 210 grams (1¾ cups) bleached all-purpose flour
- 70 grams (¾ cup) Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
- 7.5 mL (1½ teaspoon) baking soda
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 10 mL (2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 7.5 mL (1½ teaspoon) ground ginger
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) ground black pepper
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 150 grams (11 tablespoon) unsalted butter room temperature
- 130 grams (⅔ cup) granulated sugar plus more for coating cookies
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 80 grams (¼ cup) Lyle's black treacle or fancy molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a couple baking sheets by lining them with Silpats or parchment. Set aside for later.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and cloves. Set the whisked dry ingredients aside for later.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the granulated sugar for a couple minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and the molasses and beat the mixture until it is smooth.
- Add the egg, and beat to incorporate it, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture slowly. Continue mixing until the cookie dough has come together and you can no longer see any flour. Be sure to scrape up the bottom of the bowl because some flour could be hiding, unmixed, down there.
- Scoop ½ tablespoon amounts of dough, rolling them into a ball in your palms, and then gently tossing them in a small bowl of granulated sugar to completely coat them. Place them a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- When your baking sheet is filled, take a flat-bottomed glass, dip it in sugar, and press down each ball of dough to get a flat disk, about ¼-inch thin.
- Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes.
- Let cool completely before serving.
This chocolate spice cookie recipe is adapted from a recipe for gingersnaps from Alice Waters, via David Lebovitz.
Lynn says
I've seen a lot of recipes for desserts with pepper lately, but I've been scared of trying it. I can't imagine the taste. But if you say it's good I'll try it!
Jan says
@LynnPepper adds so much to a cookie. Many people use it in gingerbread cookie recipes!
Tina says
The combination of the pepper and black treacle sounds amazing. I have always wanted to make a treacle something and this looks like the perfect recipe! Thanks for posting an unusual and tasty recipe.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
What a unique recipe this is!! The cookies sound delicious!
Jamie says
This is the brand of molasses I use here in France. And although I make chocolate cookies - wafers are my fave - and molasses cookies I have yet to combine the two but boy am I loving it!
myFudo says
This is something interesting for me. Haven't tried the spicy-chocolatey combination. I think it's time I try this.
Paula @ Spoons 'n' Spades says
This sounds like a delicious combination of flavours. The cookies look great!
Ann says
What a fabulous cookie and what a mess you got with the glass jar...I'm so sorry that happened. Glad you found it this time in a can!
The Procrastobaker says
Love this recipe, impressive but simple 🙂 your cookies do look totally perfect!
RavieNomNoms says
These look like fabulous spiced cookies. I have never seen a chocolate spiced cookie before, looks wonderful!
[email protected] says
I have to try these - I think they'd be perfect for a cup of tea and I've been experimenting with pepper in cookies a little bit the last few months and I really like the little added kick they give - especially with ginger or molasses.
purabi naha says
Jan, wow, the addition of pepper is unique here! Very interesting recipe and the cookies look perfect!