Valrhona Cocoa and Anardana Cookies

Bite into a chocoholic's dream. These flourless cookies are rich, chewy and have crispy edges. The secret ingredient is the Anardana, dried pomegranate seeds, which is commonly used in chutneys and Middle Eastern dishes. At first sniff, they may remind you of a sweet red wine or fruit leather, making these tangy seeds a perfect accompaniment with our Valrhona Cocoa Powder Bonus - these cookies are flourless and quick to make .

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Kashmiri Curry Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Why not, especially these hearty, healthy and nutritious bars. Packed with coconut oil, chia seeds, quinoa and...white beans. Yes, these contain pureed white beans for that extra boost of protein to get your morning started off right. These cookies are easily customizable - you can vary the dried fruit and nuts, as well as using pureed pumpkin or sweet potatoes instead of applesauce. To give it a little extra added flavor, there is Kashmiri Curry, which has cinnamon notes, but is still a bit savory, too. This recipe can be scooped to make cookies or patted into a pan, then cut into pieces. These also work well for an afternoon snack, and are great to take out on hiking trips. This is one cookie that you won't feel guilty about eating.

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Aji Pimento Cheese Crackers

These little crackers combine a range of delightful chile flavors into every bite and will add a unique twist to your snacking or appetizer lineup. The mild pimento cheese is complimented with Aji mirasol chile peppers. They are mild and fruity with hints of tamarind and tomato. The pickled jalapeño on top adds a kick- but not too much. Orange zest brings the flavors together nicely.

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Peppercorn Shortbread

Shortbread takes a walk on the wild side with a globe trotting parade of pepper- Vietnamese peppercorns, green peppercorns, grains of paradise and pink peppercorns. all make an appearance and lend their unique flavors to the mix. These cookies are easy and everything BUT boring. This short bread is spicy, sweet and has a kick that makes them perfect for dunking in something warm and creamy like your favorite Chai or some warm milk with turmeric.

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Rosemary Cottage Cheese Cookies

Vintage cookbooks offer up some curiously great recipes and this one from the 1930's is no exception. Cottage cheese cookies are an intriguing prospect and in this case, grandma DID know best - the resulting dough is light, tender and full of flavor. The addition of rosemary and apricot jam adds a festive flair.Rosemary is wonderful in sweet applications and pairs well with most fruity jams or jellies. Cherry or blackberry would be wonderful in these, as well. This cookie is a perfect for a cookie exchange, or just as a slightly sweet accompaniment with a cup of tea or coffee.

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Kala Masala Almond Cookies

Pain d'amande is a classic French almond cookie. Thin and crispy, and not overly sweet, they make an excellent accompaniment to tea or coffee. A stack of these cookies wrapped up with string makes a quaint gift, and happens to be exactly how we first came to try them.Since our first encounter with these cookies, we've played with different flavors and shapes. Of all our experiments, the most successful added Kala Masala to the cookie dough. Masala blends are usually quite versatile and deserve to be played with in more than savory dishes. Our Kala Masala blend has warm spices like coconut, clove, cinnamon and star anise. The almonds in the Pain d'amande are a perfect vehicle for all of these spices, giving them a gently sweet base flavor upon which they can shine.

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Mahlab Cherry Almond Balls

Mahlab, a spice derived from the pit of the Mediterranean St. Lucie cherry, tastes strongly of cherry and bitter almond, with more elusive floral and vanilla notes. In our search for a cookie that would do justice to this unique flavor, we were thrilled to find these phenomenal cherry almond balls. They're a perfect vehicle for this striking spice.Using ground almonds instead of almond flour is key to these addictive cookies, which were a feature of the holidays during our childhood. The original recipe used candied cherries for the center, but we opted for re-hydrated dried cherries instead this time. The change gives the cookies a fresher, slightly less sweet flavor. Try them out, but be warned: They may become a permanent addition to your holiday baking.

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Olive Oil and Juniper Brownies

Juniper is a lovely spice, and capable of so much more than it is often given credit for. These aromatic berries are layered with flavor: piney at first, but then giving way to a sweet citrus taste that lingers. It deserves to love in something besides gin. With this in mind, we set out to make a desert that placed this underappreciated spice in center stage.Dark chocolate is a perfect vehicle to showcase juniper's unique flavor profile, and so we decided to feature them in rich, moist brownies. Through trial and error, however, we learned juniper gets much stronger as it cooks. Another addition was needed to balance the spice. We found our answer in olive oil. It's rich and earthy, and will heighten the bitterness of the dark chocolate. The resulting brownies are fabulously out of the ordinary, yet still deeply satisfying.

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Holiday Pepper Biscotti

These crunchy treats were a clear favorite from our holiday baking sessions this year. Boasting festive pops of cranberry and pistachio, these little gems get an extra dose of pizzazz from our Holiday Pepper Blend in the crust. Not too peppery or too sweet, the flavors are delightfully complex. They are easy to make, keep well and make a wonderful complement to coffee, tea, toddies or egg nog. Enjoy!

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