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I agree, that the combination of chocolate and spicy sounds super weird at first. I mean, it should be an either-or question, right? Do you like Chocolate things or Spicy things? Butterscotch or Caramel? To-may-to or Tom-ah-to?
But when you add a bit of spicy heat to chocolate, it suddenly tastes more… chocolate-y. Almost like I’m tasting chocolate for the first time all over again.
So I’m asking you- don’t shy away from the strange sounding combo of chocolate and sweet pepper jelly. Yes, the jelly is made with jalapenos, but it’s not burn-your-mouth-off hot. It’s more like a background heat, made even better by snuggling up next to a schmear of cream cheese frosting.
Also, there’s something about making a thumbprint cookie that just brings out the kid in me. I don’t know what it is- I like playing with my food, so rolling raw cookie dough into small balls before shoving my thumb down into the center has to be one of the most satisfying feelings ever. And since I’m now (sort of) a grown-up, there’s no one around to tell me not to touch my food with my hands. Ha!
How to make Chocolate Cookie Thumbprints with Sweet Pepper Jelly
Chocolate Cookie Thumbprints with Sweet Pepper Jelly Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Sweet Pepper Jelly:
- 7-8 arge hot peppers, minced (when cut, those should be the equivalent of 1 cup, including the seeds. I used orange habaneros, but the heat and flavor of chile is up to you)
- 2 cup sugar
- 5 cups water
- 1 oz powdered gelatin
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt into a large bowl. Combine the butter, egg, vanilla, sugar and melted chocolate chips in a smaller bowl and whisk until no lumps remain. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing as you go, until the batter is completely combined. Stir into a large ball and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F and remove the cookies from the fridge. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, remove sections of the batter and roll into balls. Press your thumb or forefinger down into the center of each ball, to form a deep indent. Do this with all the cookie and then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F and remove the cookies from the fridge. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, remove sections of the batter and roll into balls. Press your thumb or forefinger down into the center of each ball, to form a deep indent. Do this with all the cookie and then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Once cooled, spread a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting in the indentation and follow that with a dollop of the sweet pepper jelly. Keep covered between servings or the cream cheese frosting will crack.
Sweet Pepper Jelly:
- In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the peppers till sizzling, then add the sugar and stir evenly distribute. Add the water and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by at least one third.
- Remove from heat and strain out the peppers, reserving the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining liquid with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to “bloom” slightly for 1-2 minutes, then stir into the liquid. If canning, now is the time to jar and process the jelly. If not, pour the liquid into a glass jar and allow to set in the fridge for at least one hour.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whisk the ingredients together until completely combined and smooth.
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