Cookies with a unique flair

Jeff was going to be going into the Phoenix office to finish packing up his cube and go on some conference calls, so I thought I could make something for his coworkers. Since he does not go in often, we don't get to do the Wednesday Treat Day - but we could still bring something!

Instead of going with your average cookie, I had to change things up a bit. Not Your Ordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies have a spicy bite from strong Vietnamese cinnamon and a surprise addition of black pepper. I don't think you could necessarly tell there was black pepper in them, but it added just enough to keep your tastebuds working to find out what was in that cookie! The cinnamon, chocolate chips and toasted pecans add a unique change.

The texture can be somewhat manipulated by how long you bake them. If you let the edges get a slight golden, but set in the center, they will have a crisp edge with a soft and pleasant chew towards the center. If you prefer a cookie that is crispy from the outside to that last bite in the middle, you can bake them for just a couple minutes more. Try baking one or two first and see how you like them - we found them to be best when they had a crunch around the edge, but leaving the center a bit chewy. I used a combination of butter and shortening so I could get that buttery flavor to the cookie, but the structure the shortening gives just can't be replaced. I have had really good success with using specturm organic shortening in baking.

Recipes
Not Your Ordinary Chocolate Chip Cookie