I put a vegetable in a cookie! I’m not sure if this is a first for me or not, but it seems weird and awesome and SPICY — and it is. AND AWESOME. Don’t forget awesome. ALSO: I made you another video! I choke on spicy jalapeño sugar fumes. Nbd. Check it out here, or see the embed below.
These cookies have been on my mind for a while — something spicy mixed with a simple cookie. I thought about doing sriracha cookies, and probably still will, but I honestly don’t use that much sriracha so didn’t want to buy a massive bottle for no reason. I mean, making cookies is a reason… but having a massive bottle of sriracha for YEARS as a result = not the greatest. Or maybe I’ll become a sriracha addict? I suppose I could…
Anywho. I went with the jalapeño, and WHOA. Awesome. It makes the prettiest green sugar, which you then mix up with the flour and salt and butter and make green-flecked SPICY cookies! I’m not gonna lie: these actually have some heat. You can take the seeds out, if you want (slash if you’re weanie. jk i love you), for a less-spicy option. I just threw the whole darn thing into the food processor and let ‘er rip! Then had a coughing fit when I peered in and inhaled. Oopsies. Learn from my mistake, young grasshopper.
After making these shortbread cookies a few weeks ago, I guess I’m on a roll with the shortbread. It’s just so easy to make! The dough comes together SO easily and quickly in a food processor, then you slice, bake, and enjoy. Who WOUDLN’T want a cookie that easy? Um, crazy people. That’s who.
You guys know I like to deem everything “healthy” if there’s anything of nutritional value in it, so I’m deeming these healthy cookies. Jalapeño is a vegetable, after all! Um, actually I think it’s technically a fruit … but one of those vegetable-fruits that nobody calls a fruit. So, I’m sticking with veggie. VEGGIE COOKIES! Spicy veggie cookies. I’d say nobody will notice you snuck in a vegetable, but they absolutely will. It’s JALAPEÑORIFIC! New word. Roll with it. xo
- 1 jalapeño
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt (even slightly less is ok!)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups flour
- In a food processor combine the jalapeño and the sugar. Pulse until totally combined and no big chunks remain.
- Add the salt and flour to the food processor, scrape down the sides, and pulse until fully combined.
- Add the butter, cubed, to the food processor and pulse until the sound deepens and the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto the countertop and use your hands to bring it together.
- On 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap, form the dough into two (separate) logs of dough about 2" in diameter. Roll, twist the ends to seal, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350, slice the dough ¼" thick, and cook for 16-18 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should just be turning golden, but the tops shouldn't.
- Remove and transfer to a cooling rack.
The Jalapeno Shortbread cookies are delicious!
These were also a huge hit at work and I had trouble not eating them all right out of the oven. They remind me of my grandma’s habanero and almond cookies, I might try the shortbread idea with different kinds of peppers.
Glad to know they were a hit!! Habanero and almond sounds like a GREAT combo!!
Yum!! These were great! I wasn’t sure what to expect so I removed the stems and seeds from the jalapeño on the first batch. They had a lot of jalapeño flavor without the spice which was nice but I think I will up the ante next time and leave the seeds and stems in for a bit more punch.
Woohoo! Thanks, Colleen! Glad you enjoyed them! xo