Dark and Stormy Cookies with a Spicy Kick: A Unique Twist to a Classic!
A dark and stormy cookies? Don’t you mean a dark and stormy cocktail? Yes, but my darling boozy friends how do you not know me by now? You should know that there has to be some boozy twist coming out of this boozy kitchen of mine. I mean who doesn’t love a dark and stormy cocktail but transforming them into cookies? Well they should be illegal, because honestly they are just so good! These dark and stormy cookies are the ultimate ginger cookie with a twist or two. They are soft and chewy, rolled in a zesty lime sugar, drizzled with a rum glaze and some extra spice for that extra spicy kick.
I can’t take full credit as I found the recipe on the internet. Ya’ll know that I can’t bake without a recipe and even then I added extra ingredients for that je ne sais quoi! Luckily for me it worked like a charm! It is a win!
Transforming a classic into a unique twist.
My rum of choice: 33Eighteen South Africa’s Most Awarded Craft Rum!
Only the very best ingredients is used for baking these mouthwatering good cookies.
Did you know that the name 33EIGHTEEN actually refers to the coordinates of Cape Town, where the idea for the Dark Rum was born and produced? Well now you know!
33EIGHTEEN Dark Rum is produced using a cold or vacuum distillation method. An unconventional distillation method reducing the overall distillation pressure thereby reducing the temperatures required to evaporate the alcohol.
The still used to produce the 33EIGHTEEN Dark Rum is one of only a few vacuum stills in the world and is really unique.
Nose: Vanilla, oak and caramel notes.
Palate: Rich, velvety and warm vanilla and caramel character followed with a lingering sweet oaky aftertaste.
This rum is the perfect flavour profile to make these dark and stormy cookies.
The recipe calls for 45ml of Rum. Let the temptation of adding more slide. Alcohol tends to mess with the science of baking. So don’t add more!
Adding a little extra flavour!
Replacing vanilla essence with Angostura Bitters. Only because opening the stupid bottle of vanilla essence is a challenge for my pathetic weak wrists. Anywho…no negative thinking today.
Wanting to keep it true to a dark and stormy cocktail it does contain a few drops of bitters – so why not replace the vanilla with angostura?
The Dark and Stormy Cookies Extra Kick – Banhoek Chili Oil
Ginger and chili belong together like rum and coke. Adding just 5ml of chili oil just adds an extra layer of flavour and something different. You can pick up a zing at the back of the throat. As a wine drinker we are all about layers and complexity. This absolutely brings something extra to the dark and stormy cookies.
Did you know Banhoek Chilli Oil is named after the valley which they call home. In centuries past, travellers braving the Helshoogte (‘Hell’s Heights’) Pass between the historic towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek would keep a keen eye out for the lions and leopards that roamed free here.
The eastern slopes of the mountains were particularly intimidating, and they dubbed this valley the Ban(g)hoek, or ‘Fear Corner’. Today it’s a picturesque highlight of South Africa’s Western Cape winelands and – as many visitors would agree – not at all scary.
Right enough random ramblings – My SEO application is happy with the amount of words for google to be happy. After all I do need to keep google happy so you can find my articles. Now you know why recipe bloggers ramble so much. Google doesn’t allow us to just post a recipe. 🤔😐
Dark and Stormy Cookies with a Spicy Kick
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon Eureka all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup firmly packed Selati's Demera sugar
- ¼ cup sweet molasses
- ¼ cup golden syrup
- 1 large free range egg
- ½ teaspoon Angostura Bitters
- 3 tablespoon 33Eighteen rum
- 1 tsp Banhoek Chili Oil
Lime Sugar
- zest of 1 lime
- ¼ cup brown sugar
The Rum Glaze
- 2 tablespoons 33Eighteen rum
- ½ cup icing sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift and whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy,for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the molasses, golden syrup, egg, Angostura, chili oil and rum. Mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until the dough comes together.
- Put the dough in a flat disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Make sure to refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, make the lime sugar. In a shallow bowl, combine the lime zest with the brown sugar.
- Gently rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips for the flavoures to infuse.
- Preheat the oven to 180° degrees C. Line a cookie tray with baking paper.
- Shape the dough into 2.5cm balls. Roll each ball in the lime sugar. Don't skip this step. This really gives the cookies a lovely crunchy outside.
- Place each cookie ball 5cm apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press down with a fork.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Move the cookies to a rack and let cool.
- To make the glaze, combine the rum with icing sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. For an extra kick of yummiliciousness you can sprinkle some chopped stemmed ginger on top.