The food blogging duties will be handled today by Connie’s husband, Jamie.

It’s funny how our taste preferences have a tendency to change or evolve with age. If I were to sit down little nine year old Jamie and ask him to name his three favourite vegetables, I can almost guarantee the list would not include broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts. However, 25 years later and rarely a day goes by in which I’m not enjoying a combination of all three.

My mother must be so proud.

(Wait a minute. If I could travel back in time and meet the me from 1987, am I really going to waste that ability by asking him what his favourite vegetables are? Of course, not. I’m slapping a copy of Grays Sports Alamanac in his hand and telling him to not put some money on the Cubbies).

Desserts are no exception. While I have never been one to turn down milk chocolate, I’d now much prefer a square of the darker variety (the higher the percentage of cacao, the better) and a spoonful of homemade almond butter.

Which leads me to cookies. My love affair with cookies is well documented; simply revisit my first guest post for proof. However, as much as I enjoy the richness of a maple cream or the simplicity of a chocolate chip, I’m sometimes left wanting…more.

When I speak of more in this context, I’m not referring to the quantity of cookies, rather the number and complexity of flavours.

Enter the lemon/lime cayenne cookie.

I came across this recipe while looking for a cookie to bake for a holiday exchange at work. As is often the case during that season, we are surrounded by sweets, sweets, and more sweets. Recognizing this, I decided I wanted to try and offer an alternative – something either savory or spicy. I searched online until I found a recipe for a cookie that featured both sweet and heat elements. Truly the best of both worlds!

What we love about this cookie are the two stages of flavours experienced after biting into one. It starts off relatively sweet, some might say refreshing, due to the lemon or lime. Then, just as you’ve been lulled into a false sense of security, the cayenne decides it wants the limelight.

Ugh, I apologize. That word play was embarrassing.

Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that these cookies pack a nice level of heat. So if you enjoy spice like we do, I definitely recommend this recipe. The cookies pair really well with a glass of red wine – especially reds that have a slightly peppery/smoky finish. 

Adapted from:

Full credit for the original recipe goes to Kelly Cooper over at GrownUpCookies.com. If you haven’t already, definitely check out her site for a selection of treats sure to satisfy your sweet (or savory) cravings.

For our second batch, we modified Kelly’s original lemon cayenne cookie recipe by substituting the lime zest and lime juice in place of lemon. Next time I might add cocoa powder to complement the lime and cayenne.

Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

• ½ c unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest or lime zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• ½ c cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
2. Mix in egg, lemon or lime zest, and lemon or lime juice.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper then mix into above.
4. Spoon teaspoon-sized balls and place 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
   1. Note: This produced slightly smaller, bite-sized cookies. For the more daring, use a Tablespoon for larger cookies. You can do it, trust me.
5. Bake at 375°F for about 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown.
6. Let sit for a couple of minutes (if you can) then transfer to a cooling rack.