Tingly Sichuan pepper Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies

The key to a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand. (We declare that this is definitely a scientific and true statement!) So we come to you with not just one but TWO cookie recipes. In this recipe, we'll learn how to make a Tingly Sichuan pepper Adobo Chocolate Chip cookie.

Click here for the 2nd recipe in our chocolate chip cookie series: A tingly peanut chocolate chip cookie. 

We were so pleasantly surprised by this recipe. We first learned about this unique recipe when we were tagged on Instagram by Charlotte (@chardrucks). Using our red dried Sichuan peppers, Charlotte gave a tingly twist to Abi Balingit's Adobo Chocolate Chip cookies (found in her debut cookbook "Mayumu,") these cookies are sure to delight our friends familiar with the savory notes of Filipino Adobo dishes. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup/ 228 grams unsalted butter
• 2 fresh bay leaves or 4 dried bay leaves
• 2¼ cups/ 306 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 packed cup/ 220 grams dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup/ 150 grams granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• ¼ cup/ 66 grams soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Wu Yin Taiwanese Black Vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 10 ounces/ 290 grams dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• ¾ tablespoon black peppercorn and ¼ 50Hertz dried red Sichuan pepper (or 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns)
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Place the butter and bay leaves in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the specks of milk solids turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a large bowl and discard the bay leaves. Set aside until cool enough to touch, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the flour and baking soda until the baking soda is evenly distributed.
3. Add both sugars to the cooled butter and mix by hand until well combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, soy sauce (try adding 3 tbsps first and taste as different brands of soy sauce have different sodium content), vanilla and vinegar. Gently mix in the flour mixture until no floury streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate until evenly distributed.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or, ideally, overnight to allow more time for the flavors to meld. (If you have time for an overnight rest, the baked cookies will have an intense caramel flavor.) If the dough has rested overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to make it easier to scoop into balls.
5. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
6. In a small skillet, toast the black peppercorns and red Sichuan pepper on low heat until they start to smell fragrant. Coarsely crush the pepper with a mortar and pestle.
7. Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls. Place about 6 balls on a prepared sheet, making sure to leave at least 2 inches of space between the balls. Place the bowl of remaining cookie dough back in the fridge until the first sheet is done baking.
8. Sprinkle some of the crushed pink peppercorns and flaky sea salt on top of the dough balls before popping the baking sheet into the oven.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, then drop the sheet against the oven rack (or another sturdy rack or surface) from a height of 5 inches to create outer ripples in the cookies. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough and lined baking sheets.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE IN PDF HERE